Jevil's Revenge
by Lord Kinesis
Summary: After the spade king's imprisonment, the wild jester finds fury toward Ralsei and Susie on account of sparing him. He plots a diabolical scheme to permanently alter their strongest emotion. Kris and Lancer soon find themselves on the other side of someone else's heart. How will they handle it? And just what is this joker capable of doing? Of course, Anything! Rated T for language.
1. Jevil's Retaliating Chance

Jevil's Retaliating Chance

 **Author's Note: Between my love for this game as well as everything yet to come in chapter two, I may find myself writing more fanfics when ideas come to mind. This is the start to an idea I've had since I met the wild jester. As you can tell, he's not actually a title character, but only because the romance this story holds takes priority over the four-character maximum. Note that Jevil is still a massively important member of this story, and you'll see why.**

* * *

It had only been a couple days since Lancer overthrew his father and ever since the party hasn't battled a single enemy. They hang out outside the castle trying to come up with a compromise.

"Do we really have to save the world?" Susie asks with a bored look on her face as she twirls her new knife. Ralsei sighs and nods.

"As a matter of fact, we do." He responds. "The balance of light and dark is becoming upset and if we don't do something, the unthinkable will befall on our world." Kris shakes his head.

"Here's something I'd like to make clear." The usually quiet boy states. "Susie and I come from another dimension. Can't all of us leave this world and go there?" Lancer folds his arms and frowns.

"Are you saying I should abandon all my loyal subjects? If I leave them to die, my legacy will be lost forever." Susie glances back at the shaded goat.

"So you're telling me that you, Kris, and I are all extremely critical to the future of this world?" Ralsei nods.

"Unfortunately, yes. The Spade King was only the first guardian to keeping the world unbalanced so the darkeners would overpower the light. If we quit now, it'll be over for our future." He says. Lancer glooms and looks toward the ground.

"But, does this mean I'll have to kill my dad?" He asks.

"YES!" Lancer flinches and glooms at his friends.

"Okay, who said that?!" He asks with both anger and sadness. Kris, Susie, and Ralsei glance at each other.

"I don't think any of us said that pal," Ralsei responds.

"Look, if you don't want to kill your father, I don't blame you." Susie states. "But unfortunately, you'll have to make sure he's locked up behind bars until our journey is over." Lancer reluctantly nods.

"I was hoping he'd learn his lesson, but all he's been doing is throwing a tantrum inside his cell." He faces Ralsei. "I'll tell K. Round to keep him in the basement at all times." Susie's eyes widen.

"You're giving your entire kingdom to a checker?!" He shrugs.

"Well, I don't want you guys to go on without me. The only thing I can do is give the kingdom to someone else in the meantime." Ralsei shakes his head.

"Lancer, I think you should just stay, and be king." He says.

"AND KILL HIM!" That unknown voice shouts again. Lancer frowns adamantly.

"No, I'm not going to leave you guys behind. Though only one darkener is required in the prophecy, nothing calamitous would happen if a fourth member went right?" Ralsei shrugs.

"I guess not, but isn't it too dangerous?" Lancer chuckles.

"As if you guys are in any less danger than me." He remarks. "The other day, Susie thrashed the life out of me, and I endured eight powerful ax strikes." The purple dragon girl sighs deeply.

"Yes, I tried to kill him when I thought he betrayed us." Kris shrugs.

"Well, what's your point?" He asks. The spade boy raises a hand victoriously.

"I have a whole lot of bulk in me!" He puts his hands on his hips proudly. "And under no circumstances will I be the first member of this team to die!" He faces the castle. "But I do want the kingdom in someone else's hands in the meantime." Susie sighs.

"Alright, but make sure K. Round knows what he's doing first. That thing could've easily killed us twice." Ralsei frowns unamused.

"To the point, you had to throw me at him!" He drops his anger and turns back to Lancer. "Wait, how come you're not appointing Rouxls Kaard the throne?"

"Lesser Dad doesn't want the position." The blackjack responds. "And so K. Round is my next most qualified servant."

"NO HE ISN'T!" The voice shouts even louder. Lancer shakes his head and turns around.

"I'll be back after K. Round is kinged and my father is given mercy behind bars." He quickly levitates inside the castle as the door closes behind him. The other three friends glance at each other.

"He's really taking this hard isn't he?" Ralsei says as he exhales. "We'd better hope no one has any objections to his motives."

"I OBJECT!" The voice screams, startling all of them.

"Okay, who's out there?" Kris says as he withdraws his sword.

"I'M RIGHT HERE!" Susie glances down at the satanic pickaxe in her lap.

"Wait a minute…" All three of them flinch in shock as the devil's knife transforms into a the greyish-blue jester they nearly died to.

"JEVIL?!" All three exclaim in unison. The joker levitates above their heads, crosses his arms, and nods.

"That's right you pathetic fools. I've been listening all along!" Ralsei and Susie both glare at him.

"Who pissed in your cheerios?!" The reptilian girl asks under frustration.

"Yeah, seriously?" Ralsei agrees. "What happened to being the weapon we need on our journey?!" The distraught joker glances at Ralsei, and then at Susie, and then adamantly shuts his eyes.

"You immature children have some nerve giving me that look after all I've done for you." All three of them mirror the same expression.

"After what you've done for us?" Kris asks as Jevil nods. "Name one thing you've done to earn our respect."

"Uh, let's see." Jevil sarcastically states. "I freed you from the imprisonment the whole world locked you away from." Susie rolls her eyes.

"Actually pal, you were the one locked away while the rest of the world roamed free outside your cell." Jevil proceeds.

"I entertained you guys in a game that would prepare you for the king's battle." Ralsei's frustration rises.

"Yeah, by trying to kill us all!"

"And finally, after you guys miraculously beat me, I transformed into a deadly knife you could use to spill Spade King's blood all over the royal floors!" Kris sighs.

"Jevil, we're grateful that you're on our side, but we don't owe you anything." Jevil nods at him.

"No, personality-deprived human, you owe me nothing." He says to Kris before glaring at the other two. "You, prehistoric goth girl, owe me a dead spade king." Susie chuckles.

"Why's that my responsibility?" Jevil transforms into the levitating devil's knife.

"Because I gave you my body to use to beat the king. You were supposed to use me as a weapon to murder him." Ralsei gasps.

"But why do you care so much if he's alive? We made it out okay!" He exclaims. Jevil quiets down slightly.

"Touché, because Lancer had shown everyone what would've otherwise happened to you." He points firmly at Susie. "Though apparently, you decided after your efforts to defeat the king, that you should let him kill you and your friends." Susie scoffs.

"What?!" Jevil squints through his glare.

"You heard me. Even before you knew the other darkeners would show up, you decided to end the fight and let the king backstab you." Kris raises an eyebrow.

"I beg your pardon, but we didn't know the king would backstab us." Jevil points a finger at himself.

"Well, I did!" Susie grabs him by the tail and pulls him closer.

"Then why didn't you say anything?!" Jevil adamantly closes his eyes.

"Well Mrs. Ungrateful, I was going to warn you not to fall for it, but you put me back in your pocket before I could." Susie pauses and lets go of him. "If you hadn't put your weapon away, I could've saved you fools a lot of pain." Ralsei sighs.

"The king told us we should put down our weapons and so we complied. But why are you bothered?" Jevil glares and levitates toward Ralsei.

"As for you! If you hadn't healed the old bastard after the fight, he likely would still be suffering right now! Why'd you heal him?!" Susie grabs his tail again.

"Leave Ralsei alone!" Jevil turns away from her. "The fact is, we fell for his trap and Ralsei tried to make things better." The jester faces her.

"Well look at the result, now things have ended in the worst possible way they could! The king is still alive!" Kris rolls his eyes.

"You want revenge on the king for imprisoning you?" The joker shakes his head.

"Not entirely, I want revenge on the king for cheating in the game." Ralsei raises an eyebrow.

"A game?" Jevil nods.

"Precisely, our world is a mere game. If all of you lost your HP to me, you'd be eliminated from the game forever. And that's the fate the king must meet." He says.

"Are you saying life itself is just a game?" Kris asks. The jester nods.

"Indeed, we're all playing it until the moment of our deaths. This king has cheated multiple times and threw penalties at many other players. He needs to be eliminated right now!" He pouts.

"Look, dude, we're not killing Lancer's father." Susie declares. Ralsei steps forward.

"Seconded." Jevil frowns and faces Kris.

"How about you? You want to tie this argument up so we can find a reluctant compromise?" Kris shrugs.

"I'm afraid my vote is irrelevant." He responds. "Lancer is part of the team to and he's against the idea of killing the Spade King." Jevil grins evilly.

"Well then, tell the young prince to join these two traitors," Ralsei and Susie glare at him. "While you and I battle them to the death!" Susie reaches for her weapon.

"Hey, where's my weapon?" Jevil laughs maniacally.

"I'm right here!" Susie picks up her battleax.

"Fine bring it!" She dares. Ralsei stands next to her.

"We're not afraid of you!" He declares. Jevil faces Kris.

"Alright kid, you make the first move." Kris deposits his sword and nudges Jevil.

"We're not going to hurt our teammates." Jevil's jaw drops.

"What?! These traitors are in favor of the king surviving! I'm telling you, that he cannot be allowed to live!" Ralsei and Susie mirror taunting smirks.

"Well dude, no one else concurs." The purple dragon teases.

"You have no support whatsoever." The shaded goat regards. Jevil sighs deeply.

"Okay imbeciles, if you guys dare defy a chaos lord of his opinion, there are going to be consequences." Kris frowns and crosses his arms.

"Are you threatening us?" The jester shakes his head.

"Actually pal, I'm going to play a wildcard that will alter the way they think. It won't do any long-term damages as long as both of you have good vitality… physically." Ralsei's eyes widen.

"What the heck does that mean?!" He asks fearfully. Jevil levitates closer to him.

"It means, I will hurt you very lightly, but the effect will last for a long time!" He calms down. "Until then, I suggest you and Susie prepare for this revenge. The first opportunity I have to retaliate, I will use." He levitates slightly higher. "And now, I'm off to plan that revenge. Goodbye for now comrades." He flies away.

"I'm terrified at the thought of what he's going to do to us," Ralsei says as he nearly begins crying. Kris hugs the saddened goat.

"Don't worry pal, you'll be okay." Ralsei blushes lightly at Kris's embrace.

"Thanks, Kris, you sure are a sweet friend." He says while regaining his smile. Susie sighs and sits down.

"Next time we pacify him, how's that sound?" She asks. Ralsei shakes his head.

"Jevil doesn't take pacifying lightly. He probably would've fallen asleep for a hundred years." Susie rolls her eyes.

"It's not like that wouldn't have helped us." Kris shakes his head.

"Guys, Jevil is just a little mistrusting of us. He's still part of our team isn't he?" Ralsei gives him a disinterested look.

"I think four is quite enough. Besides, Lancer's better than Jevil anyways." Susie begins laughing.

"Ha! Lancer was so much easier to defeat than Jevil was." Ralsei raises an eyebrow.

"As in; Lancer is a much more capable ally than Jevil." Susie's laughter fades. "Besides, if we take Jevil with us he might screw up the prophecy. He might bring the unthinkable singlehandedly." Susie shrugs.

"Well, he does make a good knife." She stares at her battleax. "But he definitely does need a lesson or two if he wants to stay with us." Ralsei nods.

"As the dark prince, I concur." Kris metronomes his finger.

"Guys, after we defeated Jevil, we promised him we wouldn't hurt him anymore." Susie rolls her eyes.

"I didn't promise him a damn thing. If that stupid joker wants to screw around with us, we need to teach him who's really in charge." Kris points his thumb at himself.

"That would be me." Susie frowns at him.

"Who died and made you the boss?" She asks under light irritation. Kris proceeds without intimidation.

"The rest of the humans. With me being the last human from my world, my soul power far exceeds anyone else's." Ralsei sighs.

"Unfortunately, that is true." Susie rolls her eyes.

"Whatever happened to seniority? I'm the oldest member on the team, therefore I should be in charge." Kris shakes his head.

"Jevil's older than all four of us combined. Do you want him making decisions?" Susie growls subtly.

"Jevil is not one of us." She asserts. "He doesn't belong on this team. A deadly weapon is all he's good for." Ralsei begins shivering.

"Susie, you don't really think that, do you? He has feelings too." He states. She just shakes her head.

"His feelings don't count. His only emotions are excitement and anger." She states. "If he had any common sense at all, he'd focus more on saving the world rather than ending a king." Kris sighs and stares at the ground.

"I wonder what he's up to right now."

* * *

Meanwhile, Jevil is deep in the forest with a very odd-looking deck of cards. He withdraws the cards from the box and reads the labels.

"Let's see here, I've got four wildcards that reflect each suit. But which one is revenge material?" He withdraws the club. "Join the club," He reads. "Force your enemies to feel part of a club that they will never be secluded from." He slides that card back into his pocket.

"Boring." He says with an unamused frown. He withdraws the diamond card. "The rich Diamond, give your enemies the illusion of infinite wealth and watch them effortlessly go bankrupt to the point they can't afford to keep their clothes." The jester's eyes widen as he pockets the card.

"Harsh! Jesus." He pulls out the spade card and reads the description. "Spade Slave, give your enemy a mystical shovel and force them to be your slaves in burying your dead rivals and unwanted tax forms?" Jevil abruptly shoves that card into his pocket.

"Who's causing all of this?!" He exclaims. "Is there a single sane card in this god damn deck?!" He opens his eyes curiously at the final card suit, hearts. "The miraculous heartthrob. Force your enemies to fall madly in love with the very next person they make eye contact with, this love will render them completely powerless of reaching their other emotions until their desperate hearts are satisfied." The dark jester gains a ginormous grin on his face.

"YES! This is the card I'm looking for!" He celebrates. "Those lightener imbeciles may think they've won, but I'm going to pierce the very foundation of their behavior with an evil spell they'll never get over!" The card glows and then disappears. The Joker laughs maniacally as a handful of sharp hearts appear in his palm.

"Ready or not, Ralsei." He creates a bow out of the spade shovel. "Ready or not, Susie." He expands the diamond into a skinny spear and pierces the back of a heart. "Here I come!" His club shift's into a country club golf bag and he drops his arrows in them. "For you have forgotten one thing about me. I can do anything!" He continues laughing manically as he levitates out.

* * *

 **Author's Note: And there's the first chapter. I think you all know what comes next. But there will be quite a few twists thrown in here and there.**


	2. The First Shot

The First Shot

 **Author's Note: Well, seeing as how this story is already being noticed by quite a few people, I think it's fair to proceed at a quicker rate. Enjoy the first step to the beginning of the romance!**

* * *

Lancer was finishing the talk with Roulx Kaard and K. Round. He held a small yellow crown in his hands.

"It's a wonderful privilege indeed young prince," Roulx says as he bows politely. "As the head duke of your kingdom, I bestow my deepest honor toward your decision of our new king." Lancer glances around as the Rudinns and Hathys nod. As do the rest of the proud servants.

"I'm willing to grant this honorable checker to take the throne for the time being, so that I may return to my noble quest, with my friends." The spade prince says with respect. "My only final request is that my father may stay in prison, but remain alive. Do you, C. Round, promise me you'll do that for me?" The small checker bows a couple of times in agreement.

"You have both his word, as well as the rest of the servants' promise to not harm or release the former king." Roulx states. Lancer nods and levitates up to the C. Round.

"Then, with heavy honor, I grant you, C. Round, the royal throne!" He places the crown on the checker's head. "You are now, K. Round and may take your position, as the king!" The spade boy states as the checker's legs and face grow to the point, he's taller than everyone else. He stands with a large smile on his face.

"Ladies and gentlemen, our new king, K. Round!" Roulx Kaard cheers as the other servants applaud. Lancer gives a slight grin.

"Let's all bow to our new ruler." He comments. Every servant in the room bows their head forward toward their new king. Lancer and Roulx do the same.

"Do you have a comment new great leader?" The royal duke asks. K. Round nods, and then he leans forward to bow at his group of servants.

"Whoa!" Lancer exclaims. "You don't need to bow to us, that's our job." K. Round shakes his head lightly and then bows once more. Roulx Kaard begins tearing up.

"He's such a respectable king." He says passionately as his eyes sparkle and produce tears of joy. "He even bows back to all those who serve him." Lancer smiles and faces Roulx.

"Well, Lesser dad, he's in your hands now." He remarks. "Please make sure the crown stays on his head going forward." Roulx nods.

"It'll be my pleasure young prince. Have a splendid adventure with your close friends, and know that I'm always rooting for you." Lancer smiles and hugs him softly.

"Awe, that really means a lot to me!" He exclaims as the duke hugs him back.

"Now go Lancer, go make your insignificant father proud!" He cheers as Lancer levitates toward the door.

"Goodbye, everyone!" The spade boy shouts as he exits the castle. "Now, where did my allies head off to?" He turns to the side at the sound of rustling inside the bushes. "Who's there?" He levitates into the bushes and encounters the wild joker. "Jevil?"

"Oh, if it isn't my young cousin Lancer!" He exclaims with excitement. "So, how's uncle Spade? Dead I presume?" Lancer frowns.

"Look, buddy, I don't think you're supposed to be here. Last time I checked, you were in prison." Jevil frowns.

"Under who's legal jurisdiction?" He questions.

"My father's," Lancer responds. Jevil makes a triggered face but immediately shifts to an adamant frown away from him.

"Fair enough, your father is one big ball of fattened processed marshmallow paste." Lancer frowns. "But a king is a king, right?" He squints at the young prince. "By the way, how's that new king C. Round doing for you?"

"His name is K. Round." Lancer asserts. "And I appointed him my throne, so I could continue my adventure with my best friends." Jevil chuckles.

"Some friends huh. They're pretty psychotic if you ask me. With the whole, heal your dad so he could obliterate them thing, I think you're better off without teammates with a death wish." Lancer rolls his eyes.

"They're very respectable people and I'm going to join them going forward." He pauses for a second and glances at the Joker's golf bag. "What's in the bag?" Jevil sweats nervously.

"Oh, uh. Golf clubs!" He lies. Lancer squints.

"Are you sure about that?" He asks. "It looks pretty light for a bag of clubs." Jevil grins innocently and strokes the back of his neck. "Besides, we don't have a golf course around here." The joker shrugs.

"Well, it's not like I can't make anything happen. I can do anything!" Lancer's expression fades.

"Whatever." He looks up at the jester again. "Do you know where my teammates are?" Jevil nods and points west.

"I saw them over there the last time I checked," Lancer smirks.

"Thanks, dude, I'll see you later!" He levitates west at a fast rate. Jevil grins evilly and turns around.

"Too bad I lied to you about that." He mumbles to himself. He then looks out and spots the other three party members. "Ooh, I see my friends are having a conversation without me. Let's listen in!" He transforms into the devil's knife and levitates closer.

* * *

"What's taking Lancer so long?" Susie asks impatiently. Ralsei shrugs and shakes his head.

"I'm afraid I don't know. Perhaps he's making sure the crown stays on K. Round's head." He states. Susie rolls her eyes.

"Well, it's getting kinda late now, wouldn't you say?" Kris nods. "I think we should head home before our parents get worried about us," Susie says as Kris nods in agreement.

"That would seem rather smart." He remarks as Ralsei sighs.

"But, I'm not really ready for you guys to go yet." He murmurs. Kris smiles and gives his friend a hug.

"Don't worry pal, we'll be back tomorrow. We promise." The shaded goat blushes lightly.

"Okay, Kris. If that's how it has to be." Susie rolls her eyes.

"When you two lovebirds are done building your nest," Both boys flinch and end the hug. "Perhaps you can catch up with me." Kris puts his hands on his hips.

"We're not lovers! Just friends!" He asserts as Susie chuckles.

"Whatever, I'm out of here. Feel free to join me when you're ready." She says as she walks away. The moment Susie walks by the inconspicuous knife, it transforms.

"I see someone is attempting to leave early." He withdraws his bow and one of his arrows. "Well Susie, time to feel a greater force within your heart you never knew you had." Just as he's about to fire, he hears someone.

"Well, bye Ralsei." Kris says as he waves and begins walking away. The jester immediately turns around and watches as the human walks away from the meek goat.

"Hm, Ralsei is alone I see." He repositions the shot to aim at the smiling creature. "That just makes him an easier target."

"Goodbye Kris, I look forward to seeing you tomorrow!" He exclaims. He then sighs and sits on a large rock. "Ah, I love my teammates." He says passionately before a massive pain hits him in the chest. "OUCH!" He exclaims as the force pushes him off the rock.

"Ha, ha!" The joker exclaims as he celebrates his victory. "I got him, I got him, I got him!" He chants quietly as Ralsei lies down and begins crying.

"Ow!" He winces as tears begin streaming from his face. "That really hurt." He finally gathers enough strength to stand and pulls the arrow out of his heart. "Ah!" Ripping it out hurt him as well. "An arrow?" More tears make their way to his eyes. "Someone shot me!" He continues bursting into tears before someone calls out.

"Ralsei!" The goat turns to face the cyan human. "Are you okay?!" Kris exclaims as he runs toward his injured friend.

"Kris, you came back!" He smiles for a second before his tears keep streaming. "I thought you had places to go." Kris nods.

"I do, but I can't rest easy knowing that my best friend is hurt." He grabs a dark candy. "Here pal, eat this." Ralsei smiles.

"Thanks, Kris." He consumes the black item and his wound instantly closes. "Mm! Delicious!" He exclaims cheerfully. Jevil looks out and glares.

"What?! Why isn't he hopelessly in love?!" He pouts. Kris flinches at the sound of his loud voice.

"Hold on… Jevil? Was that you?" The Joker closes his eyes and levitates out.

"Yes Kris, I am the one who shot your good pal with the arrow." Ralsei's eyes widen.

"What?! You did that?!" Jevil keeps his eyes closed and nods. "Why would you do that?" Ralsei says upon crying a few tears of sadness. The wild joker shrugs and shakes his head.

"Probably because you healed the spade king. Besides, it's not like you can't use heal prayer on yourself." Kris glares at the jester and withdraws his sword.

"Alright Jevil, you've stepped over the line! We no longer see eye to eye!" Jevil flinches as a light bulb shines in his mind.

"Eye, eye, EYE!" He smirks darkly as he summons a few diamonds.

"You cannot hurt my best friend!" Kris demands. Jevil laughs evilly.

"I can do anything!" He opens his eyes but continues avoiding eye contact with Ralsei. "I wish I could feel your sheer intimidation, but you're too ashamed of your look to show your eyes!" Kris snarls.

"Alright pal, if you want to mess with Ralsei, you'll have to get through me!" Jevil chuckles.

"Take the diamond cutter!" He waves his arm out and the barrage of diamonds hover toward the cyan human.

"Kris! Be careful!" Ralsei panics as the human successfully avoids the diamonds. He pauses once he realizes he was aiming higher than usual.

"Watch the face dude!" Kris shouts in frustration. Jevil pauses and glances at Ralsei for a second.

"Bye-bye, goat guy!" He throws a single devil's knife Ralsei's direction. The goat shivers and stands still as the knife approaches his face.

"Ralsei!" Kris exclaims quickly. "L-O-O-K-O-U-T!" The human screams in slow motion as he shoves his friend to the ground. Just before Ralsei can close his eyes, he gasps as the devil's knife grazes the edge of Kris's forehead.

"AH!" Ralsei flinches and shuts his eyes tightly. "Kris, are you okay?" He mumbles nervously. The human chuckles.

"It didn't hurt. I didn't even feel it." Kris states as he glances toward the Joker. "You missed me tough guy!" Kris taunts as Ralsei opens his eyes, he suddenly freezes as a sheer rush of powerful aura grabs him from inside.

"Did I miss though?" Jevil smirks. Kris shrugs.

"You got the strand of hair blocking my eyes, but nothing more." He turns to face his astonished friend. "Right Ralsei?" Kris flinches for a second as a wave of confusion goes over him. "Ralsei, are you okay?" The helpless goat continues staring into the human's bright reddish-pink eyes and his heart begins fluttering rapidly within his chest. He suddenly pulls his cape over his cheeks to hide his blush.

"Yeah, yeah." He manages to say. "I think I'm alright." He stands up and glances at Jevil for a second. "What did you do?" Jevil shrugs.

"I merely got even with you." He faces Kris. "By the way Kris, you have a truly beautiful pair of eyes beneath your blue hair." He teases as he watches Ralsei blush deeper.

"Oh," Kris says as he gains a mannerly rush of charisma. "Thank you Jevil." Jevil proceeds.

"And you have a very soothing voice that you don't use often enough." Kris raises an eyebrow proudly.

"Oh, you really think so?" The handsome boy asks. "Well, I appreciate your compliment." Ralsei feels his body temperature rise even higher.

"And really, you have a very brave, selfless attitude that makes you look like a proud, handsome, young knight!" Kris shrugs humbly.

"I've never been told anything like that by anyone. Not even my mom." He faces Ralsei again. "See, I told you Jevil was a cool guy." Ralsei nosebleeds, but his shadow covers it.

"Ye-yeah, I guess he is." He glances back at the joker. "Are we even now?" Jevil bows politely.

"Consider us even young friends." He states. "Going forward, I will not launch a single attack at either of you. My rage toward the king has been forgiven now." Kris gives a humble smile.

"Well Jevil, I'm glad we can all still be friends." He turns back to Ralsei for a second and then proceeds. "But I'm sure you'll come to learn, revenge isn't really what heroes fight for. So I hope you've learned your lesson and will go forward promising not to hurt us again." Jevil smiles adorably and nods.

"Of course my wonderful friends, I wouldn't have it any other way." He puts his hand over his heart and bows in honor. "I promise never to hurt either of you two again." Kris nods proudly.

"Then I forgive you." He faces his shaded friend. "Ralsei, how about you." Ralsei takes off his hat and reveals his bright white face, now flushed in a bright pink shade.

"Yeah Jevil, we're cool." He says as Kris raises an eyebrow in concern. Jevil only waves.

"Great, bye now my amigos, I have to catch up with my young cousin!" He grabs his bow and arrows and levitates away.

"Bye Jevil," Kris says upon waving before looking back at Ralsei. "Hey, are you okay?" Ralsei flinches as Kris makes eye contact with him. "You seem very embarrassed about something. Is something wrong?" Ralsei suddenly snaps out of his sudden emotion.

"No, I'm alright. I feel great!" He remarks. Kris smiles handsomely and nods once.

"Okay, you have a nice night Ralsei." He turns around and begins walking away. Suddenly the goat holds out his hand.

"Wait, Kris!" The human turns around suddenly and raises an eyebrow.

"Is something wrong pal?" He asks as Ralsei gulps subtly.

"Don't go." Kris stops and walks back to him.

"Why not? I'll be back tomorrow." Ralsei sighs.

"Aw, tomorrow seems like a very long time away." He mumbles, he then flinches at how exposed he feels after saying that. "Can you please, keep me company for one night?" The cyan boy turns back to the woods for a second.

"One night?" The shaded goat nods frantically. "I don't know, my mother is probably worried about me. She might want me to get home before sundown." Ralsei begins stammering.

"Bu-but. I-I don't want to be al-alone." Kris stops for a second and faces him. "I-I mean, j-just for one night. I'd re-really a-appreciate some company." He regains his vocabulary. "I get real lonely every night without anyone around. And that sudden arrow really scared me to death the moment it hit me." Kris sighs deeply, causing Ralsei to stop for a second. "Kris? What are you thinking?" The young man faces him with a very charismatic grin.

"Alright, Ralsei. I'll stay with you for the night." Ralsei couldn't believe it. Is this a dream? He'd never felt this way before and now the boy he considers his closest friend is looking out for him? After years of failing to gain a single follower since he began his life as a dark prince, he finally has a royal knight. Joyful tears make their way to his eyes.

"Really Kris? You'll do that for me?" Kris sets his sword down and sits next to him.

"Of course, pal, isn't that what friends are for?" Ralsei slowly sits beside him.

"I wouldn't know. I've never had friends before." Kris shrugs.

"Well, you've got one now." He lays his head against a rock. "Well, goodnight pal." He shuts his eyes for a second and groans quietly, though Ralsei is able to hear him.

"What's wrong Kris?" He asks in a concerned tone. The human sits up for a second.

"I wish we had more comfortable pillows than rocks." Ralsei smiles cutely and takes off his hat.

"You can use my hat as a pillow if you'd like." He hands it to Kris as he shyly takes it.

"Thanks, but, what about you?" He asks. "Wouldn't you rather keep it for yourself?" Ralsei sighs and removes his cape. He has a small pair of shorts behind his clothing but nothing more.

"How about you take my hat, my robe, and my scarf?" He asks as he hands them to him. "I'm used to sleeping on rocks anyways." Kris blushes lightly as a thought goes through his mind.

"Actually Ralsei, why don't you come over here and sleep with me?" The shirtless white creature stops and feels his heart rate increase.

"Are you sure?" He says before glancing back at his friend. He notices Kris is blushing as well.

"Well, I don't want you to be uncomfortable for the night and seeing as we only really have one set of bed material, we might as well share it." Kris never really thought about this, but this is his closest friend, and he might as well do what he can to make him comfortable. Ralsei takes a deep breath and then sighs contently.

"Okay, Kris. I'll sleep with you for the night." He lies down and wraps his robe around both of them and lays his head against the soft scarf. "Well, let's hit the hay." He says as Kris glances aside for a second.

"Ralsei." He mumbles. The goat opens his eyes.

"Hm?" Kris sighs slowly.

"This isn't… weird at all to you is it?" He says while blushing lightly. Ralsei smiles cutely and shakes his head.

"I don't think so. I've never done it before, but seeing as how you're such a sweet person who shares comforting items, I don't see anything unnatural about it." Kris's blush fades away.

"Okay good. I was a little worried you might think it's odd that two guys are sleeping close to each other." Ralsei raises an eyebrow in confusion.

"Guys?" He asks. "Are you saying it would feel any different if either of us were girls?"

"Well…" Kris pauses for about ten seconds and then decides to let it go. "Okay, you're right. It wouldn't make much of a difference." Ralsei smiles cutely.

"Goodnight Kris!" He says happily before closing his eyes. Right before he's out cold, he feels a sudden embrace. "Huh?" His body temperature rises once he realizes Kris is hugging him warmly. "Kris?" He blushes madly as the cyan boy smiles rather contently.

"Do you mind if I hug you?" He asks with a slightly flustered face. "Your body is just so warm and soft." Ralsei feels his heart pound madly within him. After a few seconds, he overpowers the tension and just snuggles in.

"No Kris, it feels wonderful." He says in a very relaxed tone. "I love it." Kris smiles and squeezes his best friend a little tighter and holds him a little closer.

"Okay, and it's still not a little weird to you?" He asks with concern.

"Not at all." He answers. "Weird or not, I don't care. Right now all I want is a little rest, and I'm truly blessed to have my closest friend with me." Kris smiles.

"Okay, Ralsei. Good night." He says in a soothing tone.

"Good night Kris," Ralsei responds before both of them drift into the clouds for the night. Ralsei never once thought he'd look at Kris this way, but now he can't seem to imagine life without him. His only hope is that within the next few days, maybe they'll be closer than just best friends.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Dear lord that felt satisfying to write! These two characters are so adorable and I really couldn't see myself using them any other way than this! But seriously, in the past fourteen hours, I've had 27 views, 24 visitors, 2 reviews, 3 followers and 1 favorite! I feel like this may be the best idea I've ever had and it's only fair to release chapter two right now.**


	3. An Emotional Mirror

An Emotional Mirror

 **Author's note: So, the first phase of Kris x Ralsei has begun. Now it's time to begin the first phase of our other couple's romantic adventure. Well, enjoy!**

* * *

Susie headed west, but she found herself completely lost and unable to find the exit. Not only that, she couldn't find any dimensional doors or even another bystander. All of the nearby civilians had entered the castle for a royal party celebrating the new king.

"Where am I?" She asks herself. "Hello? Anyone? Kris?" … but nobody came. The young teenage dragon suddenly begins sweating lightly. "Anyone at all?" She hears some grass rustling. "Hello?" She steps forward to inspect closer.

"Susie!" The young spade prince shouts as he jumps out of the grass. Susie immediately smiles in excitement.

"Lancer!" He suddenly jumps into her arms and she hugs him as they both laugh.

"It's great to see you!" Lancer exclaims as they calm down and she sets him on the ground.

"It's great to see you too, Lancer." Her smile fades. "But I honestly feel kinda scared right now." Lancer metronomes his finger.

"Tsk, tsk. Scared?" He questions. "Last time I checked you were absolutely fearless." Susie shrugs.

"I'm not scared to death or anything, you know?" She begins. "I'm just a little concerned I might not make it home before my parents get worried." Lancer's face deflates like a basketball.

"You'd rather leave this world than stay here with us?" He asks. Susie waves her hands out.

"No, no! It's not like that. I just don't want my parents to worry." Lancer shrugs.

"Well, where are Kris and Ralsei? They're pretty good at getting through the woods." Susie facepalms.

"Dammit! I knew I should've waited for Kris! He was coming with me." Lancer sighs.

"So, we're lost for the time being?" Susie rolls her eyes.

"Speak for yourself dude, you've got a large castle and a bunch of servants to take you home. I don't think I can even leave this dimension without a human at my side." Lancer frowns.

"And you don't know where he is?" He asks as Susie shrugs.

"He's a lot better with direction than me, he's probably already back on the surface world by now." She sighs in exhaustion. "I've been lost in this damn forest for about an hour now." She remarks hopelessly. Lancer pats her on the shoulder.

"Don't worry Susie, I'll get us out of here." Susie faces him.

"How? Do you have a map, or a secret police helicopter flying around?" Lancer chuckles.

"No silly!" He pats his chin. "Though, that is a brilliant idea." He taps the side of his head. "Note to self; get a police helicopter." He then faces her and points to a pair of lawn chairs. "Look, Susie, it's that resting spot we waited at!" Susie's eyes light up beneath her plum hair.

"Awesome! You remembered where they were?!" She exclaims in excitement. The spade boy nods.

"Yep, and I want you to relax while I find the way out." Susie lays down against one of the chairs.

"Are you sure?" She asks. "Shouldn't a growing boy like you get some rest?" Lancer rolls his shaded eyes.

"I'm only a year and a half younger than you. Monsters like me usually only have one growth spurt, and once I reach it, I'll be about daddy's size." Susie holds a hand out beside her.

"I'm intrigued. When will that happen?" Lancer pats his chin.

"Let's see, two, maybe three more years and I'll be taller than you." Susie laughs to herself.

"I'll look forward to that day, now you're hardly above half my size." Lancer shrugs.

"Height isn't something I can control you know? Now do you want some alone time or not?" Susie nods respectfully.

"Yes, thank you very much." She puts her arms behind her head and lays back. "Just let me know when you find the exit." The young blackjack nods.

"Sure thing, see you then!" He turns around and levitates into through the trees. As soon as he's out of sight, she closes her eyes and falls asleep.

* * *

Only about twenty-five feet away, Jevil flinches the second he spots her.

"Ooh, what do we have here?" He asks himself. "A beautiful goth purple dragon sleeping in her natural habitat." His enthusiasm fades. "A lawn chair she stole from someone else as a result of being too lazy to set one up herself." He rolls his eyes and withdraws another arrow. "Now it's time to-"

"Hey, Jevil!" The jester flinches.

"AH!" He turns around and glares at Lancer. "What do you want?!" Lancer shrugs.

"Do you know the way out of the woods?" Jevil frowns and points behind Susie.

"I seriously could've sworn I saw you take off behind those trees!" Lancer scratches the side of his head.

"Well, yeah, but it wasn't the correct path." He pauses at the sight of Jevil's weapon. "Wait, why do you have a bow and arrow?" Jevil begins sweating.

"I'm um, hunting!" He lies. Lancer puts his hands on his hips and shakes his head.

"Sorry Jevil, I don't buy it." The spade boy says adamantly. Jevil shrugs.

"Please buy it! I need to sell it." Lancer opens one eye under his hood.

"And how much are you selling this excuse for?" The jester shrugs.

"I don't know, how much do you have to offer?" Lancer reaches into his pocket and pulls out a white handkerchief.

"All I have is this four-ply napkin." Jevil chuckles.

"Sorry pal, cash only." He turns back to Susie. Lancer frowns once he faces away.

"It's rude to turn away from someone during a conversation." The blackjack says. Jevil ignores him.

"I think the conversation is over now." He says as Lancer sticks his tongue out.

"Whatever, I'll just find a way out myself." He turns around and levitates away.

"You do that!" Jevil comments as he puts the arrow back to the edge of the bow. "Alright, time to enter cupid mode." He squints at the reptilian girl's left breast and pulls the arrow back as far as he can. "Taste love, bitter monster." He mumbles as he lets the arrow fly. Half a second later, the head of the arrow is buried deep into her chest.

"AH!" The purple dragon instantly wakes up in pain and grips her chest. "OW!" She grits her teeth as she feels blood gush at the head of the arrow.

"Yes!" Jevil lowers his fist victoriously as he transforms back into the devil's knife and watches her struggle.

"OW!" Susie falls off the lawn chair and glances at the long object. "What the hell is this?!" She exclaims before her voice cracks. Suddenly, someone dashes out on a fast bike.

"Susie!" The injured teen looks up to see Lancer on his bike, he has a very scared look in his eyes, but she can't see it through his facial shadow. "Are you alright?!" He panics nervously and revs closer to her. She lifts herself up with her left arm as her right arm continues aiding her wound.

"I don't know." She tries her best to sound tough, but the tears stream out of her eyes anyways. "That really hurt!" She winces as she tries to pull the arrow out.

"I'll get it!" Lancer says as he grabs the end. Susie flinches in fear.

"Wait, Lancer, be gen-TAL!" She roars loudly as the spade boy yanks the arrow out of her heart. "Ow!" She grips her bleeding chest and squeezes tightly. "Lancer, I said be gentle." She mumbles in discomfort.

"But it looked like that arrow was hurting you just by staying in your chest. I thought it would hurt less if I yanked it out really quickly." He says defensively. Susie let's out a long and painful groan.

"That's okay, thanks for trying to help." She says as she climbs back onto the lawn chair and continues gripping her bleeding heart. "Ow!" Lancer sheds a tear and levitates closer.

"Susie, are you alright?" He asks under deep concern. She manages to smile through her pain.

"I think so. I feel better since you're here." Lancer blushes lightly.

"Awe, you're such a softie on the inside." He levitates right next to her. "And speaking of inside, let's take a look at that injury." Susie sighs.

"Lancer, I know you mean well, but you're not a doctor. And Ralsei isn't here right now so I don't think you'll do me any good." Lancer makes a gloomy face.

"Please, Susie. I'm worried about you. Can you please show me your wound?" The reptilian girl sighs in discomfort and removes her hand from her chest. Lancer cringes at the sight of the bleeding.

"How does it look?" She asks as Lancer exhales deeply.

"It doesn't look comfortable." He says with discomfort, Susie chuckles lightly.

"At least I now know what impalement feels like." She chuckles a few times. Lancer, however, stands firmly on the ground and then grabs the white handkerchief he'd been carrying. Susie immediately spasms as he shoves the fresh hanky over her bleeding chest. "AH!" She groans audibly. "Lancer, what are you doing?!" She exclaims with both discomfort and anger. Lancer looks up and gives a serious look, she doesn't see in his eyes.

"I'm going to help you, okay?" He lets go and she takes over the treatment. "Keep that hanky over your wound and don't take it off whatever you do." Susie nods.

"Alright, thanks, man." She complies as he gets on his bike.

"In the meantime, I'm going to go find Hathy. A heart donut should put you back on full health." Susie smiles lightly toward her friend. "I'll be back as fast as I can!" He motorcycles away on his flaming bike. Susie sighs contently at the sight of his effort.

"What a nice boy." She remarks proudly. Suddenly she hears another voice.

"You won't fool me goth girl." Susie turns around and spots the joker, levitating with his back turned toward her.

"Jevil, what the hell are you doing here?!" She asks under frustration. The jester metronomes his finger in her general direction.

"Don't play dumb with me, Susie. I'm here for my revenge." Susie frowns.

"Well if you want your revenge, it's right here." She asserts. "Go ahead and dance around me and laugh while I'm hurt. I have low self-esteem anyways." The wild joker levitates in front of her and glances down to her, continuing to avoid eye contact.

"You know what would make my revenge easier? If you and Kris got a haircut, and Lancer took off that stupid hood of his." Susie rolls her eyes.

"What good would that do you?" She asks as he shrugs, refusing to tell her the reason why. "Besides, if you were still the devil's knife right now, I'd be able to shatter that dipshit that shot me in the heart with an arrow!" She says with frustration. Jevil sighs and holds his hand beside him.

"You're still super clueless. You know Susie," He turns around with his eyes closed. "You're looking at the dipshit who shot you with an arrow." Susie immediately grabs his tail.

"Jevil you fucking asshole!" She exclaims as she attempts to spine blast him, the second he hits the ground, he's already transformed into the devil's knife.

"Ha, ha! You silly little child," He taunts as she holds him close to her face.

"Don't you dare call me a child! Understand?!" She warns. He takes no intimidation whatsoever.

"Shh, little girl, we're in a library." He teases. She suddenly slams him into the soil.

"Eat dirt you little piece of shit!" She pushes him deeper.

"Yeah, you know I can't feel that, right?" He reminds her. She slams him against a rock.

"Can you feel that?!" She exclaims furiously.

"Nope, it feels like a turtle is breathing on me." He taunts as she hits the rock rapidly.

"Why won't you break in half?!" She screams loudly, suddenly Lancer returns.

"Susie! Put that weapon down!" The young prince exclaims as she turns around.

"Lancer? This isn't what it looks like." She says defensively.

"She got me all dirty!" Jevil complains in a mocking voice. Susie snarls at him as Lancer levitates closer and holds out his hand.

"Susie, knife, now!" She sighs and hands Jevil to him. "Thank you, now, here's your reward." He gives her a heart donut.

"Gee thanks." She says in disappointment before taking a bite. "Mm!" She mumbles. "That is pretty good!" Lancer smiles.

"Okay, do you feel better now?" Susie smiles casually and nods.

"Yes, I feel better than ever." Lancer nods proudly at her answer.

"That's fantastic, now, can I please have the napkin back?" Susie looks at the bloodstained handkerchief and raises an eyebrow.

"Are you sure you want it back now? It's got my blood all over it?" He nods. "Okay." She hands it to him.

"Thank you." He says as he begins wiping the devil's knife with it. She steps forward and squats to his level.

"What are you doing now, Lancer?" She asks curiously.

"I'm cleaning Jevil off." He remarks. "You got him pretty dirty while I was gone."

"Any girl with man hands is likely to do that with everything they touch." Susie frowns.

"Lancer, are you aware Jevil shot me while you were gone?" Lancer shrugs.

"I don't know. My dad fought Jevil once and said he was easy." He states.

"Yeah, Susie!" Jevil says in a sassy tone. "Take it like a man next time!" She frowns.

"I'm a girl. For your information!" She complains.

"Then start acting like one." Jevil sasses as Lancer removes the hanky.

"Well let's see it in the light." He holds it a little higher and a sudden image flashes over Susie the second they both glance at it. "Wow, it's so shiny, I can see your eyes in the reflection!" Lancer exclaims. Susie stands still, with a completely clear sight of the prince's eyes herself. She loses all control over her normal emotions as she stares into his eyes.

"Whoa." She mumbles in awe as Jevil transforms back into a joker.

"Whoa, what?" He asks. "Was there some dirt in my hair?" He asks as Lancer laughs.

"You don't have any hair!" He exclaims while chortling. "It's not like you can just grow some." The jester shrugs.

"Never underestimate a chaos lord, Lancer. I can do anything!" He exclaims cheerfully.

"Good for you." Lancer remarks before looking back toward Susie. "Well, we better go." Susie glances at him.

"Huh, oh yeah!" She regains her moral consciousness. "We need to find a way out of the woods." Jevil points east.

"The castle is that way. On the way inside if you look, you'll see two homosexual boys snuggling against a rock." Lancer gives a confused look.

"Homosexual boys?" Susie facepalms.

"You mean Ralsei and Kris, right?" Jevil nods. "I knew it all along." Lancer shrugs.

"Are you telling me they're in love?" Jevil nods and holds his pointer finger up for clarification.

"Or, one of them is in love with the other, and the other is completely oblivious of it!" He laughs maniacally. Susie snarls audibly, his laugh is beginning to piss her off.

"Whatever, come on Lancer." She grabs the spade prince by his arm and begins dragging him with her.

"Wait! My bike!" He shouts with concern. Susie stops.

"You can't leave your bike alone for one night?" She asks. Jevil chuckles and hops on the seat.

"Ooh, it's a comfy seat!" He chuckles. "You don't mind if I go joyriding on this baby for the night, do you?" He asks. Lancer nods once.

"Alright, but please bring it to my room tomorrow morning." The joker nods.

"Done, now for some fun!" He begins peddling rapidly on the peddles. "WAHOO!" He drives out of their sight within five seconds. Susie rolls her eyes and continues walking.

"Come on Lancer, let's get home." She asserts as she starts heading back toward the castle. "Hm?" She flinches and glances down at the spade boy, now holding her hand. "What the hell are you doing?" She says with a light blush over her cheeks.

"I thought we should hold hands. That way we don't accidentally get separated again." She rolls her eyes and holds her hand above his reach.

"Yeah, not happening sweetie." She continues walking as Lancer giggles.

"Ha, you called me sweetie." She flinches in shock.

*Dammit Susie! Why'd you say that?! Are you trying to make him think you're interested in him or something?!* She thinks to herself before exhaling and blushing. *Well, there's no unsaying something.* She turns around and faces him.

"It was a slip of the tongue. I was thinking about my boyfriend back home when I said that." She lies defensively. Lancer chuckles.

"Whatever you say, honey." Susie flinches again and gives him a crept out look.

"Did you just call me honey?" She asks nervously. The young blackjack shrugs.

"I want to call you honey if you're gonna call me sweetie." He remarks. Susie regains her dominant frown.

"Oh… well…" She turns his direction and squats to his head level. "Answer me honestly, do you like it when I call you sweetie?" The spade boy shrugs.

"I don't know, maybe a little." She blushes slightly deeper.

"Okay. I guess that's my new nickname for you." She surrenders reluctantly.

"Do you want me to call you honey?" Lancer asks. Susie frowns.

"Don't push it, pal." She threatens. Lancer smiles widely.

"Aw, I know you're bluffing!" Her frown fades. "I can see right through your disguise."

*Shit! He's onto you!* Susie thinks. *Look, whatever you do, don't give him any signs of weakness! He's just a friend, not a lover! Just like Kris said earlier! You do not love Lancer!* She closes her eyes tightly and forcefully commands her conscience. *YOU DO NOT LOVE LANCER!* She snaps out of it once he touches her. *AH!*

"Lancer." She says in a deep, calm voice as he wraps his arms behind her back and brings the side of his head to her chest. "What the hell are you doing now?" She asks in an annoyed tone.

"I'm listening to your heartbeat." He replies. Susie flinches upon hearing that.

"Why are you doing that?" She asks with a nervous look in her eyes, yet still able to maintain her calm tone.

"I'm just a little concerned since you were recently shot earlier. I just wanted to be sure it was still functioning normally." Susie frowns.

"I'm fine now, so get off of me." She demands. Lancer lets go of her and looks up at her face.

"I'm still a little concerned. Your heart sounded very loud and very fast." She sighs. "Is that normal for someone of your species?" Susie finally gives in.

"No Lancer, it isn't." She looks to the side and then faces him again. "If you want the truth, I'm a little emotionally elevated right now and I don't know what or why that is." Lancer taps his chin.

"Is it because of me?" He asks as Susie shrugs.

"I'm not sure, but it's entirely possible." She states. "It started the moment I could see your eyes in the reflection of Jevil's weapon." Lancer pauses.

"Interesting. If I didn't know any better, I'd suppose you're in love with me." Susie gasps internally.

"Well…" She begins sweating. "I don't really think that's the case." She says defensively. Lancer gives her a thumbs up.

"Okay, I gotcha." He says cheerfully. "As long as we can still be friends, that's all that matters to me."

*Friends? Is that what I want?* She thinks. *He's super cute, and the way he helped treat my wound felt… gentlemanly.* She regains her adamant frown. *But he's still certainly not the man for me!* She asserts to herself.

"Look! The castle!" Lancer shouts. They tiptoe past Kris and Ralsei and then Lancer opens the door to the castle. "Before you ask, if you can have the softest bed in the castle, the answer is yes!" Susie flinches and gives him a questioning look. "What? It's the least I could do for someone who got her chest impaled. You need a good night's sleep in the king's bed!" He insists.

*Or Maybe he is.* She thinks as they enter the master bedroom.

"Well honey, here we are. The softest bed in the entire castle." Lancer says cheerfully.

"Oh, you really don't have to do this for me," Susie says humbly. The spade boy shrugs.

"Why not? You're my special girl, aren't you?" She flinches at the sound of that sentence.

"Did you say, special girl?" She asks as her heart flutters again. Lancer blushes lightly.

"I meant guest. You're my special guest." He holds his arms next to the bed in a presenting manner. "Well, get in and get comfy." Susie smiles cutely and removes her shoes.

"Okay." She lies down and gets under the covers. "Thank you very much for your hospitality sweetie." She says with a cute look in her eyes. Lancer was able to see her eyes under her beautiful plum hair.

"No problem, honey." He says while blushing lightly. "Well, I'm going to my room now." Just before he walks out, she stops him.

"Wait!" She calls out. He stops and turns around. "Don't you remember what you said to me after I joined your team?" He scratches the side of his head.

"That, we'd have monogrammed track jackets?" She shakes her head.

"No, I mean, after that." She remarks. Lancer's face turns a deeper shade of pink.

"That we'd have sleepovers?" The dragon girl nods slowly. "Where we tell each other secrets?"

"Bingo." She taps the right side of the bed. "Don't tell me you didn't have this night in mind at the time you said that." Lancer shrugs.

"I didn't really plan it all out at the time." Susie laughs.

"Come on sweetie, you know you can't resist the comfiest bed in the castle." She strokes the edge of the bed in a hypnotizing manner.

"Well… if you insist." The blackjack levitates onto the bed and lies against the pillow. "Wow, it is soft!" He says as he sinks his head into the pillow. Susie just stares into his eyes as he stares back into hers. "You have some beautiful eyes." He remarks.

"Aw, you just made my day." She responds passionately. Lancer rolls onto his side and flips the lamp off.

"Well good night Susie." He says.

"Hold, on. We're supposed to tell each other secrets during the sleepovers remember?" She reminds him. The spade boy rolls over to face her direction.

"Susie, I wasn't serious when I said that, okay?" He admits. "I was just desperate for a friend at the time." Susie sighs.

"I know how that feels. It feels rough." She states. "But can you tell me one secret to bring our friendship a little closer?" Lancer yawns.

"Fine." He thinks for a few seconds. "The moment I saw your eyes through Jevil's knife, I thought you looked beautiful." Susie's eyes widen upon hearing this. "And a small part of me was tempted to jump on the lawn chair and kiss you." Susie couldn't believe her ears, is he completely serious?

"That's weird." She says trying to sound casual. "Just out of curiosity, what stopped you?" She asks in a nervous tone. Fortunately, Lancer couldn't tell she was nervous.

"I thought if I pulled a stunt like that, you'd never look at me the same way again." He says. "A kiss is a romantic sign of love between two people who deeply care about one another." Susie gives him an adorable look, but he couldn't see it in the dark.

"Oh, well, it's probably for the best that you save it for your true princess." The spade boy shrugs.

"Yeah, I suppose you're right." He rolls back on his side. "Now do you have a secret for me, or can we just call it a night?" Susie thinks for a few seconds.

"Well, I don't really know off the top of my head." She states as he yawns.

"That's okay, it can wait until morning." He says. "Goodnight." The purple dragon tugs his shoulder lightly.

"I thought of one." She says as he opens his eyes.

"What?" Susie closes her eyes deeply.

*Come on Susie, you can do this! You're strong enough to handle telling him!* She opens her eyes. "Lancer, remember when you told me my heart sounded fast and loud?"

"Yeah?" He responds curiously. Susie gathers her strength and finishes her sentence.

"You are the one who caused it to react that way." Lancer's eyes widen.

"What?!" He says nervously.

"Goodnight Lancer." She rolls on her left side and falls asleep with a smile on her face. Lancer begins shivering nervously as he thinks of the possibilities.

*Oh no! I told myself I didn't know any better, but I did! Susie has fallen in love with me!* Lancer thinks. *I'm scared of this situation!*

* * *

 **Author's Note: Chapter 3, complete. I got the two couple carpets intact, and now the rest of the story will be about unraveling them. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. To anyone who has favorited, followed, or reviewed, I owe you a thanks. Seeing readers that appreciate the same games as I do motivates me to keep writing. Chapter 4 coming soon!**


	4. Jevil's Atonement

Jevil's Atonement

 **Author's Note: Okay, I think it's a fair time to proceed with this story that makes me feel like a reasonably talented author with decent ideas and a healthy mindset towards a masterpiece. Everyone who's read this story up to this point really helped me get here, thanks. Anyways, proceed.**

* * *

Lancer spent almost an hour and a half tossing and turning without the ability to fall asleep. Just hearing Susie confirm he's responsible for her emotional elevation is a lot for the blackjack to take in.

*Susie is actually in love with me?* He thinks to himself. *This is not good. I'll never be a good boyfriend to her! She's so much taller than me and my big ego won't go well with her low self-esteem!* He shuts his eyes tightly. *Come on Lancer! Think of the positives!* He lightens the pressure on his eyelids and exhales deeply.

*Susie is extremely beautiful. She's super strong and she won't let anyone hurt me. She's only a year and a half older than myself and she thinks the dangerous stuff I do is… cool. And prior to today she already loved me more than my own dad, even if she didn't really express it.* He sighs and tries regaining his pride. *What could possibly go wrong?* He rolls over and glances at the purple dragon with her back turned toward him. She was a very quiet sleeper, and despite being cold blooded, she didn't hog the blanket to herself. Lancer could tell she was trying hard to be a good slumber partner.

"I can't do this anymore." The spade boy says subtly as he quietly steps out of bed and levitates to the door. The minute he opens it, he hears a loud, distant revving sound. He quickly steps out and shuts the door behind him.

"WOO! WEE!" The wild joker drives in the room and spins donuts on the royal floor. Lancer immediately glares at him.

"Jevil! Quiet down!" He exclaims as the jester blows out the tail-flame and sets the bike against the wall.

"If that wasn't the most exciting ride I've ever had, then my name isn't Jevil, Redmond, Blackquill, Chaotix the fifty-fourth!" He cheers. Lancer puts a finger to his lip.

"Shh! Susie's sleeping!" He whispers in a firm tone. He lightly opens the door, and fortunately, Susie is still motionlessly resting. He shuts the door and continues frowning at the wildcard. "How do you have this much energy at eleven-fifteen?" Jevil shrugs.

"I can do anything!" He celebrates. Lancer facepalms.

"Except limit yourself on the sugar and caffeine." He sarcastically remarks. Suddenly, Rouxls Kaard and many other servants step into the hallway.

"What was with that loud noise?" The royal duke asks curiously. Lancer puts his hands on his hips and faces Jevil.

"Well? You got something to say?" He asks. The joker shrugs.

"I'm sorry I'm the only one here who wants to have a little fun at midnight." He apologizes. The spade prince facepalms.

"You're forgiven, now how about apologizing for waking nearly the entire castle up?" He asks with some demand in his tone. Jevil folds his arms and glances away.

"Yeah, maybe some other time." Most of the servants glare at him. Rouxls steps forward.

"Jevil, how did you get out of your cell?" The duke asks. Jevil rolls his eyes and gets in his face.

"Wow, that's a pretty rude way to greet someone who just got freed from jail, don't you think?" He holds his hand beside him. "This is better; Oh Jevil, it's great to see that you and the rest of the world are now free from solitary confinement the rest of the dimension locked you away from!" He exclaims in a mocking excited voice. Lancer shrugs.

"I knew you being out of prison was odd, seeing as both me and my dad never mentioned releasing you to anyone." He glances at the other servants. "Did any of you guys request his parole?" All of the servants shake their heads as the joker chuckles.

"Parole is such a stupid word. It's the term for freedom of a guilty person who was deemed retributed and may resume their place in society." He points his thumb at himself. "Considering I was never really guilty, I think the term you're looking for is… acquitted." Rouxls glares at him.

"Actually, Jevil, you were deemed guilty by both the spade king," The jester gives a severely disturbed frown. "And the rest of the kingdom's agreement."

"DO NOT MENTION THE SPADE KING!" Jevil yells as he levitates higher and summons a barrage of clubs. Everyone flinches and steps back. "He's in jail now! So his retarded opinion is irrelevant!" He asserts. Lancer grabs Jevil's left arm and lowers it.

"Jevil, please calm down." He pleads as the joker glances toward him. Jevil immediately sighs and looks down at the ground as the clubs disappear.

"Look everyone." He points at Lancer. "This is my young cousin!" He sheds a couple of tears. "In the past ten years of my life, I was locked away from him." He looks up at Rouxls with tears in his eyes. "This kid is the only cousin I've ever had! Uncle Spade killed both of my parents and divorced my aunt, and now the only other form of family I have is someone who I haven't seen since he was three!" Lancer's head deflates.

"Jevil, I'm not really happy with the circumstances either." He admits. "But what is your goal now?" He asks curiously. Jevil frowns and faces the castle guardians.

"I want him executed!" He exclaims. "In the past ten years, I've been alone without any company from any lone person." He lowers his tone. "Nobody cared about me during the time." A few servants sigh. "The Spade King gave me the one fate I dread more than any other, seclusion." Lancer raises a hidden eyebrow.

"Seclusion?" The jester faces him and nods.

"I spent ten years in jail forgetting what it is like to have friends or acquaintances at all. Needless to say, I learned how to entertain myself pretty well, but my outer shell of excitement is only an illusion to who I really am." Rouxls steps forward and gives him a sympathetic look.

"Then what do you want?" The joker gives a sinister laugh for a few seconds, causing everyone's glooms to convert into unamused frowns.

"I'm so happy you asked!" He chants. "I want the walking trash bag otherwise known as the Spade King, to be given the proper sentence for his evil crime! The death penalty!" Lancer gasps. Rouxls Kaard steps forward with a horrified look.

"What did you say?!" The Duke asks as the servants all chatter quietly in fear. The joker grimaces manically.

"You heard me." He begins counting on his fingers. "I want him thrown in a large oven, strapped to an oversized electric chair, submerged in boiling water," He glances at the duke. "Or sulfuric acid, I'm cool with that too." Lancer and Rouxls gasp as he continues. "Then I want him to be battered over the head repeatedly with a shovel until his brain is so squashed, it leaks out of his ears." He opens his eyes and smiles. "And that's it. I want him burned, electrocuted, scalded, corroded, mutilated, and flattened to a pulp to the point we're able to use his severed body as a royal carpet." Lancer begins crying a waterfall.

"Oh my god! That's," He begins. The joker interrupts him.

"A brilliant accurately planned, and painless death compared to what he truly deserves. What do you say to apply this plan in action?" He questions with a sociopathic grin. The Blackjack cries loudly.

"You are a sadistic monster!" He exclaims. "I can't believe I called you a family member!" The young spade prince levitates to his bedroom, crying like mad.

"That poor, poor boy," Rouxls says as he sheds a couple tears of his own. Jevil rolls his eyes.

"Whatever, his opinion doesn't matter anyways." Everyone faces him and glares intensely. "I mean, he's only thirteen and he gave up the throne either way. His opinion is no longer relevant."

"WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!" The royal duke screams. Jevil frowns and puts a finger to his lips.

"Hush, Sir Kaard. Our residents are trying to nap." Rouxls stomps his foot.

"Silence Jevil!" He exclaims. "How dare you speak to our prince that way?!" Jevil rolls his eyes.

"I see someone has an attitude today." He says upon shrugging. "Last I checked, he turned over his kingdom to a formerly tiny checker to join his fellow lighteners on their journey to save the world. Ergo, none of you morons are legally required to obey him anymore." One of the Rudinns slithers forward.

"We obey him because we're loyal!" He exclaims. Jevil scoffs.

"Don't give me that. This kid was a total pushover who got his way every day of his thirteen years under only one simple condition." Rouxls frowns.

"What condition would that be?" He asks. The joker gives an intense glare to everyone.

"The condition that he must hate every lightener that exists!" He holds his hands out angrily. "Don't you fools get it yet?! His father taught him to be racist and prejudice towards people from outside this dimension! And his reward for being a jackass was everything he ever desired from you twerps!" Rouxls makes a fist.

"I resent that, wild card!" He exclaims as Jevil proceeds.

"And the one day he finally learned not all lighteners are bad, his own father threatened to kill him unless they bowed down and learned their place!" He takes a deep breath. "And during this enormous revolution, he feigned injury so the lighteners would spare him rather than murdering him on the spot!" He descends to the floor and points firmly at the servants and duke. "And those poor, unfortunate beings believed his façade!" Rouxls holds his hands out with curiosity.

"How do you know all of this?! You were in jail when all of this took place!" He exclaims. Jevil raises his head and glares deeply into his eyes.

"Really, you think I was in prison?" The royal duke nods as Jevil's glare lightens. "Well, does anyone recognize this?" He shapeshifts into the Devil's Knife, causing everyone in the room to flinch and gasp in unison.

"Holy shit!" Rouxls exclaims.

"That dragon girl held that when they encountered me!" One of the Rudinn Rangers exclaims. The jester transforms back to his normal appearance.

"That's right. Ever since the other lighteners escaped prison, they freed me and I took the opportunity to strengthen them for the duel with the Spade King." He points at them. "And you guys were standing in their way!" He takes a deep breath and proceeds. "I had some integrity I shouldn't have used." He makes a fist. "The moment the Spade King told them to discard their weapons, I let them do it." Rouxls gulps.

"You've been with them the whole time?" He asks as the jester nods.

"Yeah, because you douchebags threw them in prison the same way you did to me!" He closes his eyes and regains his thought. "After Kris deposited his sword, and Ralsei withdrew his scarf, I said a prayer that Susie would proceed and swing the edge of my devil's knife toward the old bastard's head!" He pauses. "Needless to say, I was wrong." He opens his eyes and faces everyone. "She put me back in her pocket, and I tried to warn them this was a trap. But with Susie's thick pockets, she couldn't hear me. And then Ralsei proceeded to heal the evil cocksucker!" Rouxls glares and points firmly.

"Okay, that's enough!" Jevil gives him a mirrored expression with an equally intense pointing.

"I'm not finished!" He demands. "After the Spade King backstabbed them, he nearly murdered these poor children! And you guys pulled him away!" One of the Rudinns slithers forward.

"We did that to save them." Jevil shrugs.

"That's heroic. But nonetheless, he's still alive and breathing in his jail cell as we speak, is he not?" The royal duke nods.

"Yes, he is," Rouxls answers as Jevil sighs and closes his eyes adamantly.

"Are you fools still oblivious to the obvious problem?" He asks as Rouxls shrugs.

"Yeah. As far as I know, he's in the dungeon and away from everyone else. He's harmless down there." Jevil sighs lengthily.

"So, you still don't understand huh?" He asks as everyone nods. He levitates high and begins shouting. "THAT MAN NEEDS TO DIE!" The jester yells at the top of his lungs. "HE'S KILLED SO MANY PEOPLE! INNOCENT LIGHTENERS, MY PARENTS, SO MANY PROTESTING DARKENERS!" Rouxls holds his hands out in fear.

"Calm down! You'll wake up the entire castle!" He pleads as Jevil lowers his tone slightly.

"He needs to die!" The joker demands. "He's broken so many societal rules even a king shouldn't be allowed to use! He tried to murder me!" He sighs. "When he learned I was immortal and immune to death, he beat me up the best he could, and then threw me into solitary confinement!" The door opens and the royal chef and K. Round enter the room with exhausted looks.

"Is there any problem mon ami?" The spinning chef asks as he twirls and points at K. Round. "Our glorious King was startled by the loud voice of some high-pitched teenage child!" Jevil frowns.

"I'm sixty-five!" He exclaims. "I just don't age real fast as a result of being immortal!" The chef steps closer as K. Round sits on his throne.

"Well, if there's a valid reason for your shenanigans, perhaps we can seize this discord to our happiness. S'il vous plait?" The jester rolls his eyes.

"Perhaps our new king will understand." He levitates toward K. Round and bows respectfully. "Your majesty, as the former court jester, I'd like to make a proud request under your legal authoritative jurisdiction. Do you accept?" The Giant checker nods twice. "Thank you." He says with gratitude. Rouxls steps forward.

"Don't get your hopes up Jevil." The duke says. Jevil's left eye twitches a couple of times. "The new king has already promised-"

"SHUT UP!" Jevil rudely interrupts. He turns to glance at the duke and notices his hands are covering his mouth in offense to his interjection. The jester rolls his eyes and faces the new king. "Our world has suffered so greatly under the result of the former king's undeserved position of monarchy. I respectfully request that he's lethally executed tomorrow morning at dawn."

"Oh, sweet candles! No!" The spin chef pleads as Jevil faces the king. K. Round's smile flips over and he shakes his head back and forth lightly.

"What?!" The joker exclaims as he levitates higher. "NO?!" K. Round nods sadly. Jevil bides in all of his anger. "All of you are imbeciles!" He faces the servants. "I should've transformed the moment that bastard opened his mouth and smacked the shit out of him! He needs to perish! He cannot be forgiven!" Rouxls slams his fist against the wall loudly.

"Enough already! The king has spoken his decision!" Jevil rolls his eyes and faces K. Round.

"Oh really? Repeat that response in a more verbal tone your highness." He leans his ear forward as K. Round shakes his head again, lightly bumping Jevil's ear. "Hey!" He growls loudly. "Quiet people piss me off!" He glares into the king's eyes. "You defy the wishes of a chaos lord?!" K. Round frowns and nods. "Well then," He abruptly grabs the crown off the checker's head, causing everyone to gasp. "You don't deserve to wear this shiny hat!" Rouxls Kaard stomps forward as K. Round shrinks.

"You disrespectful maniac! Give that crown back to the king right now!" The duke exclaims. Jevil frowns.

"Fine." He gently tosses it on the floor. "Pick it up." He insists. The small checker leans forward and tries to get the crown back on his head but achieves no success whatsoever.

"I'll get it Monsieur." The royal chef says as he steps forward. The joker holds out his hand to stop him.

"No! If he's not crowned, he's not your king. Ergo, you don't serve him." He continues staring at the struggling checker. "If you can't pick up the crown yourself, you're not worthy of being king." Rouxls glares.

"Excuse me Mr. Insensitive! The man has no arms!" Jevil rolls his eyes.

"Very well, then ask one of your loyal and humble servants to get it for you." The small checker gives Rouxls a desperate look.

"Come on, knock it off!" The duke exclaims. The jester nods.

"I did knock it off. The crown is on the ground is it not?" He glances at K. Round. "Well, are you going to put it back on, or request someone to do it for you or not?" K. Round just sits and glooms at his servants. "Pathetic." Jevil mumbles. "Your replacement for a heartless monarch is a stupid game piece that can't pick anything up or even give commands to anyone?" He pauses and shakes his head in disappointment. "I can't believe how stupid you all are. You won't kill the Spade King, and you're replacing him with a mute, armless, fossilized pizza who smells like almond milk."

"Well, he does drink quite a bit of that." The spin chef states. Jevil shakes his head and places the crown back on the checker.

"Here's your stupid hat." K. Round grows large again as Jevil folds his arms and faces the servants again. "If you guys won't execute the Spade King, I'll get my friends to do so."

"Friends?" Rouxls Kaard asks curiously. Jevil nods.

"Though I have some beef with Susie and Ralsei, I have a method of getting them to do my bidding." He withdraws his deck of cards and holds up a card with a stop sign on it. "This is my stop codon." Rouxls raises an eyebrow.

"The hell?" He questions dumbfounded.

"This card can be played to reverse the effect of any other game card. I spent three years crafting it myself behind bars to use if anyone defied me. But seeing as I've already bestowed the Miraculous Heartthrob on Susie and Ralsei, perhaps I should undo my action." The duke's eyes widen.

"Did you say the Miraculous Heartthrob?!" He exclaims in fear as Jevil nods carelessly. "You idiot! That card forces someone to fall in love with the very next person they make eye contact with that matches their sexuality!" Jevil frowns at Rouxls with no concern.

"And? Ralsei is bisexual. I made sure I knew that before I trimmed Kris's hair." He opens his eyes. "As for Susie, she's a low tone bully with no self-love whatsoever. The fact that I paired her with Lancer of all people shows she can love a true prince." Rouxls grabs Jevil by the shoulders and shakes him rapidly.

"Are you insane?! What if Lancer and the human don't return those feelings?!" Jevil shrugs. "They will both go into hardcore depression to the point they may commit suicide!" Jevil opens his eyes and gives a sociopathic frown.

"Do you think I didn't already know that before I infatuated them?" He holds the Stop Codon in front of the duke's face. "Might I remind you that if they're rejected, I can remove their uncontrollable romance from their very conscience." Rouxls glares deeply.

"You better do that right now, while they're both asleep." Jevil shakes his head and puts the card back in the deck.

"I'll decide whether or not to play the card." He asserts. "If Susie and Ralsei comply to execute the Spade King, I will reverse this harmonic curse from their desperate hearts and they can proceed living happy lives." He opens his eyes and frowns. "But if they don't, they're going to have to live with the result of their crush's response. And if it turns out Kris and Lancer don't return the feelings, they'll have to live the rest of their lives with forbidden love." The royal duke glares intensely.

"And what happens if they don't accept their lover's response?" Jevil shrugs.

"Suicide is not my problem." Everyone gasps. "I do not decide if they live or not, they do themselves. If they choose to end their life, it's not my fault." Many servants shed a couple of tears as the jester proceeds. "Unless of course, the Spade King kills himself in the dungeon, then I'm willing to play the Stop Codon anyways." He waves his arm out to all the servants. "Or, all of you guys can prevent this tragedy from possibly happening by killing the Spade King right now." Rouxls frowns and puts his hands on his hips in an intimidating manner.

"Who do you think you are?" He says in a firm voice. Jevil takes no fear toward his attempt.

"I think, I'm a man who was wrongly convicted ten years ago." He states. "However, I'm not the man currently in power to kill the former king, and it seems nobody in the kingdom is on my side." He closes his eyes adamantly. "If two of the lighteners are found dead next week, keep in mind that they let you live at a time they could've easily murdered you. And your blood is on their hands equally as it's on mine." He opens his eyes with a serious frown. "But if any of you guys come to learn the Spade King is unworthy of living, and decide to take action now, I promise to spare the lighteners of soul-crushing heartbreak right now." He holds the Stop Codon up and waves it in front of his face. "Well, it's your choice so what'll it be?" Rouxls shakes his head in sheer disappointment.

"Boy was King Spade ever right about you." He points to the door. "Okay buddy, out!" Jevil's expression changes quickly.

"Whoa, what do mean out?" He asks as Rouxls lowers his eyebrows.

"Out, we're exiling you from our kingdom." He says with an unamused tone as Jevil glooms.

"You're serious?" The Duke nods in response. "I'm not part of Spade Castle anymore?"

"That's right!" Rouxls states as the other servants' nod. The joker quickly lightens up his mood and laughs hysterically for a few seconds.

"Oh, I'm gonna get ya!" He points at Rouxls, and then he points at Rudinn and Hathy. "I'm gonna get you and you!" He twirls his fingers as he points at the other servants. "I'm gonna get you and you!" He teleports between the Spin chef and K. Round. "I'm gonna get you!" He shouts at the chef and then glances to K. Round. "I'm gonna get you!" He points at his crown. "I'm gonna get your hat too!" He twirls around and faces the door. "Oh, I'm gonna get you all!" He pauses for a second and horrifyingly glances to the left. "And I'm gonna get that Spade King too." He faces them all one more time. "Oh, you'll all be sorry, I'll get ya!" He continues laughing manically as he dances out of the room.

"He's such a troublemaker." The spin chef says. Rouxls faces him and nods.

"He's a nut!"

* * *

 **Author's Note: Ah, I love references most people probably won't recognize. Seeing as how this story wasn't dramatic enough, I decided it'd be easier to see Jevil's point of view to reveal why he's playing his cards this way. It'll get increasingly easier going forward, but there's chapter four for you awesome readers! Chapter five coming soon! Have a nice day!**


	5. Ralsei's Confession

Ralsei's Confession

 **Author's Note: … Carry on readers.**

* * *

It was five thirty in the morning and seemed to be a very peaceful environment around the two friends outside the castle. After a few minutes of turning lightly, the young shaded goat opens his eyes and yawns quietly. He flinches and blushes when he notices the handsome cyan human still has his arms tightly locked around him.

"Kris." Ralsei whispers quietly, the human continues sleeping soundlessly. "Kris." The dark prince asks in a quiet voice. The strong boy doesn't move a muscle. Ralsei stops and thinks of a crazy idea.

*He really is a heavy sleeper, isn't he?* He thinks to himself. *But why does he look so… beautiful?* He closes his eyes and thinks harder. *Am I… in love with him?* He shivers lightly. *Why am I suddenly attracted to my best friend? I didn't feel this way the first time I saw him. Sure, I thought he was cute, but I didn't think it was love.* He continues lying motionlessly in the slightly older boy's arms. Kris suddenly yawns and pulls them closer together, causing Ralsei's temperature to spike.

*Wow! This is beyond a normal feeling for me! Why does he have to be so hot?!* The meek goat gulps and faces the truth. *I'm out of theories, I'm truly in love with this boy.* He glances downward to think clearer. *But it's useless, Kris would never want a boy like me. He's way out of my league and I should've already known that. He'll never be more than my best friend, and if he finds out, our friendship will be over.* He looks back at the young teen's face and blushes deeply.

*I really wish I could kiss him right now, but if he wakes up, he'll probably punch me in the nose.* Ralsei hopelessly thinks. *He'd never talk to me again if I pulled such a stunt like that.* He pauses for a few more seconds and then glares with determination. *Come on Ralsei, this might be the only chance you'll ever have! If you kiss him while he's asleep, he'll never know. Actually, nobody other than me will ever know!* The dark prince puts his lips together and slowly leans forward.

* **HOOOOONNNKKK!** * Ralsei screams as Kris wakes up instantly, fortunately, he didn't see Ralsei pucker.

"Jevil?!" Kris shouts to the wild joker, holding an airhorn. "What the hell was that for?!" Jevil shrugs.

"Comedic purposes! Five-thirty is always a good time to wake up isn't it?" He teases before chuckling maniacally. The shaded goat gives a frightened expression.

"I nearly had a heart attack!" He yells. "I don't need any more of your startling jokes!" Kris frowns at the jester.

"Dude, you really shouldn't pick on young people who are sleeping." He asserts. Jevil rolls his eyes in a taunting manner.

"My apologies, next time I'll use a slide whistle." He says in a less enthusiastic tone. "Now, are you two lovers ready to slay some enemy monsters?" Ralsei flinches.

"We're not lovers." Kris states. Jevil grimaces darkly.

"Really? I've never seen normal friends sleep so close together while hugging shirtlessly." Both boys flinch at that statement. Kris faces Ralsei.

"I told you I thought it was a little weird." Ralsei nods.

"I understand, I'm not really used to having friends yet, so I thought no boundaries were set." The joker proceeds teasing.

"So you are lovers? Yes?" He questions. Kris frowns.

"No, we're just friends. We're nothing more than that!" He asserts as Jevil shrugs.

"Sure, but do you think you'll ever be more than just friends?"

"No" – "Possibly," Kris and Ralsei say at the same time. Kris glances at his friend. The jester chuckles frantically.

"Ooh, I heard a possibly! That doesn't sound like a no to me!" He teases. Kris sighs.

"Ralsei, what do you mean by possibly?" He asks. Ralsei blushes lightly.

"Well, seeing as how you and Susie are close siblings, I was thinking maybe we could one day become brothers in law?" He thinks off the spot. Kris raises an eyebrow.

"Susie and I aren't related," Kris responds. The dark goat glances down.

"Oh, I assumed you were siblings since you're both strong people who like to wear their hair over their eyes." Fortunately, Kris can't tell he's lying.

"Wait, you have a crush on Susie?" The dark prince gathers his courage and nods nervously.

"That's right! I think she's a gorgeous dragon with beautiful hair and a very fit body." He faces them and blushes lightly. "I mean, what's not to love about that?" The joker lowers his eyebrows.

"I think you're bluffing pal. And seeing how I've never lost a game of poker before, I know what bluffing is." Kris gives a shocked look.

"You've never lost in poker before?" Jevil shakes his head. "Is that even possible?!" He asks with disbelief. Jevil smiles proudly.

"Well Kris, I suppose there's one thing you don't know about me." He clears his throat.

"You can do anything." Ralsei interrupts in a disinterested tone. Jevil frowns at him. "We get it already." The joker levitates closer to him.

"Whatever. If my eyes weren't 15/15. I could've sworn I saw you two almost locking lips before I pressed the airhorn." Ralsei gasps as Kris flinches in shock.

"I have no clue what you're talking about!" Kris exclaims. "I was sound asleep until you blew that noisemaker!" Jevil folds his arms and faces Ralsei.

"Perhaps the handsome prince over here wanted to lock lips with his brave knight?" Ralsei blushes and his heart rate increases drastically as Kris makes eye contact with him.

"Heh, heh. Jevil you jokester!" He chuckles nervously. Kris frowns at Ralsei.

"Dude, are you okay? Your face is looking a little flustered again." The human says with concern. Ralsei nods and faces the jester.

"Yeah, this jester is full of hilarious jokes." He faces Jevil and gives an intimidating glare. "Right Jevil?!" He asserts aggressively.

"Awe, you're adorable when you're angry." Jevil taunts as he pinches Ralsei's right cheek. "I could just pinch these fluffy cheekbones all day." The shaded goat whaps his hand with his scarf. "Ow!" Jevil pulls his hand away.

"Again, it was a funny joke the first time! But it doesn't actually mean anything in reality! Got it?!" Ralsei firmly establishes.

"Fine." Jevil rolls his eyes. "I'll just give you the benefit of the doubt." He turns around and faces the castle door. "By the way, have either of you reconsidered the idea of murdering the Spade King?"

"Nope," Ralsei says.

"Negative," Kris says.

"Fine, just checking." The Joker says as he floats closer to the door. The door opens and Lancer levitates out. "Lancer, what are you doing up so early?" Jevil asks as Lancer glares under his facial shadow.

"Please don't talk to me." The spade prince says in an unamused tone. "I didn't get much sleep after hearing your plan to kill my father." Jevil rolls his eyes.

"Well, it's not like I've achieved any success gaining support on it." He levitates back to the castle and reveals his air horn. "I'm just going to go use this on your girlfriend." Lancer puts his hands on his hips.

"If you wake her up, she'll kill you." He warns. Jevil shrugs.

"Too bad I'm a little too immortal." He responds as he levitates into the castle. The spade prince facepalms and levitates forward.

"Hey Lancer, what's up?" Ralsei asks. The spade boy sighs.

"I'm a little scared." He faces Kris. "I think your classmate is in love with me." Kris raises an eyebrow.

"Really?" He asks as Lancer nods. "What clues drew you to that eureka?" The blackjack puts his hand to his chin.

"Let's see. She called me sweetie quite a few times." Ralsei sighs cutely.

"Awe, that's cute." He comments.

"She insisted I sleep in the same bed with her." Kris shrugs.

"You did plan sleepovers when she joined you." The spade boy frowns and raises his tone.

"And, after Jevil shot her in the chest with an arrow, I checked her heart rate to ensure she was okay." Kris gives a seduced smirk. "And needless to say, I was the reason it was going so fast!"

"That's an undeniable crush for sure," Kris says. "But why are you so upset about that?" The spade prince shrugs.

"I don't know, I guess I just don't think I'd make a good boyfriend for her. I don't think a large ego fits well with low self-esteem." Ralsei taps his chin.

"Well, I do think the fact that you look up to Susie both raises her self-esteem and lowers your ego." Lancer sighs.

"I just don't think I'm the right guy for her." He shamefully admits. Kris shrugs and points at Ralsei.

"That's fine, Ralsei already said he has a crush on Susie." Ralsei squeals quietly and faces Kris.

"Kris?!" The human's smirk fades.

"Oh, sorry. Did you want that to remain a secret?" Ralsei shrugs.

"How about we just forget I brought it up okay?" Kris nods. Lancer gives a confused look to Ralsei.

"You do seem a little nervous, but why is that?" The meek goat shrugs.

"It's the power of our friendship! It cannot remain hidden!" He cheers.

"Right," Lancer comments as he points at a rock. "Ralsei, would you mind if you sat down and I took a walk with Kris for a few minutes?" Ralsei nods.

"Okay." He says as he sits down. Kris raises an eyebrow.

"What for?" He asks.

"I want to talk to a sensitive man in private." He states. "Something is on my mind, and since you don't usually seem to show any emotion, I assume your life is going perfectly." The cyan human nods and turns around.

"Okay, bye Ralsei." He says as the two of them enter the forest while the goat remains behind.

* * *

They get a little deeper in the dark, yet reasonably lit timber and Kris begins the conversation.

"You know, I don't think you and I have ever spent any time alone together." The human says. "It feels nice to finally get to bond with you." Lancer smiles lightly.

"Aw, you're such a nice guy." He remarks politely. "But here's the thing I wanted to talk to you about." The human faces him.

"I'm listening." Lancer scratches the side of his head.

"Okay, well I was wondering." He firmly stares into the boys' eyes. "Are you a straight boy?" Kris's eyes light up.

"Straight?" The spade prince nods. "Well, I think so." Lancer puts a hand to his heart.

"Because pal, I'm a straight boy. And I don't know if anyone else can see eye to eye with me." Kris shrugs.

"In fairness, I can't really see your eyes." He states. "But what's your point?"

"My point is, Susie was acting pretty weird last night. And now I've woken up to Ralsei acting weird as well." Kris holds his hand aside in a shrugging manner.

"Ralsei's acting weird? He always blushes when I'm next to him." Lancer metronomes his finger.

"No, no, no. I mean weird like, infatuated." He levitates closer to Kris. "Has he used the word love in the past twelve hours?" The human shakes his head.

"I don't believe so. You think he's in love?" The blackjack nods.

"Oh yeah, his face was pinker than ever, and he had a hard time maintaining eye contact as he spoke to you." He asserts. Kris taps his chin.

"I suppose, but he also said he has a crush on Susie." Lancer frowns.

"That's the biggest bluff I've ever heard. I'll bet he only said that to hide his true feelings." Kris raises an eyebrow.

"You think he's in love with me?" Lancer shrugs.

"I don't know. On the way back from the forest, I saw you and him cuddling one another." Kris blushes lightly and a cold sweat appears on the side of his head.

"Yeah, about that. He wanted a little company for the night and seeing as a rock was our best bet at a pillow, I thought we should share his comfy clothing." Lancer sighs.

"I see, but couldn't you have just waited for me? I would've offered you a bedroom." He politely states. Kris smiles.

"That's generous, I'll keep that in mind next time." His expression changes. "Now, back to the 'straight' talk. What's the issue?" Lancer sighs deeply.

"I think Susie is in love with me, and I don't know if I love her back or not." Kris smiles and pats the spade prince's shoulder.

"That's alright pal, love takes time to form." The human reassures. "If you spend a little time with Susie, and learn you are attracted to her, then asking her out might not be a problem." The spade boy shrugs.

"Ask her out? Like on a date?" The cyan boy nods.

"Yeah. If the date goes well, you plan another one. And if you realize she's a worthy girlfriend, you'll come to learn love, and with luck, she'll return the exact same feeling to you." Lancer sighs.

"But, I know it sounds a little crazy, but I think Susie is in love with me now!" He exclaims in fear. The cyan human hugs him.

"Don't feel bad pal, you're a good guy. I'm sure any girl would be lucky to have you." Lancer frowns slightly.

"Why are you hugging me?" He asks. Kris immediately stops.

"I'm sorry, I'm used to hugging Ralsei and he seems to like it." Lancer nods.

"I understand, but for me, it just feels pretty awkward." He reluctantly admits.

"Alright, I respect your opinion," Kris says. "Now, am I straight?"

"Yeah, if you're not, it's fine." He says. "I just thought it'd make sense to ask another straight boy what to do if you're at the business end of a girl's heart." Kris sighs.

"To tell you the truth, I think I'm asexual." Lancer flinches.

"You don't love anyone?" Kris sighs and nods.

"Well, I always thought to myself, 'maybe today I'll meet a beautiful girl,'" His tone lowers. "But to tell you the truth, all the girls I know are creatures. They're not humans." The spade prince nods passionately.

"I understand, your dream girl is another human?" Kris nods.

"Yeah but seeing as how I'm the only human from my dimension, and there aren't really any in this dimension, I gave up the dream of finding a girlfriend a long time ago." Lancer pats his shoulder.

"Aw, I'm really sorry to hear that pal." Kris smiles lightly.

"It's okay. I wouldn't expect you to have the same problem." Lancer's face lights up with intelligent thoughts.

"Though, if I could remind you of one thing, love is love, and everyone is different." Kris smiles upon hearing this.

"Really? You mean if I found love, it doesn't have to be with another member of my species?" The spade prince shakes his head.

"Hell no! I mean, this dimension has quite a few identical Rudinns and Hathys, but I've never seen anyone like Susie before, and Ralsei isn't exactly the winner in a two of a kind hand now is he?" Kris nods at this sudden epiphany.

"You're right, so I'm the only human? Big deal!" He exclaims. Lancer raises his fist.

"Yeah!"

"So if I wanted to date Noelle Holidays, there's nothing morally wrong about it!"

"Yeah!" The spade prince repeats his action before raising an eyebrow in confusion. "I don't know who that is." Kris chuckles and proceeds.

"Probably the cutest creature in the world! She's shy, and quiet, and has the voice of a songbird." He proceeds these fascinating thoughts. "Maybe when I get home I'll ask her out." Lancer gives him a thumbs up.

"That's the spirit!" He cheers. Kris gives an evil smirk.

"And I'll tell that bastard Berdly to fuck off!" He cheers. Lancer's expression fades.

"Yeah, you lost me there. I'm no fan of tier-three swear words." He reminds. Kris holds his and out defensively.

"Right, I'm sorry." He nervously nods as Lancer giggles.

"Okay, I think your spirit has regained its determination." He raises a fist. "Now, let's get back to our friends!" He levitates deeper into the woods. Kris stands still for a few seconds before he comes back and points. "The castle is that way, right?" He asks as Kris nods and chuckles.

"You got it." He responds in a humorous voice.

* * *

The two boys make their way back to the castle and spot Ralsei, sitting down unmoved from the position he was in when they left. He spots them and smiles enthusiastically.

"Oh, you're back!" He says in a cheerful tone. "Well, should we get Susie and move on now?" Lancer shakes his head.

"Sorry, I'm not quite ready to go just yet. I'm a little worried about something." The spade boy says as Kris faces him.

"What's the matter?" The human asks. "You didn't mention any problems that involve staying here." Ralsei sighs cutely.

"I think Lancer is just a little sentimental. Perhaps he's not ready to leave the castle yet." Lancer sighs.

"I guess you could say that, but I don't think that's quite it." He faces the door. "You guys promised me you wouldn't kill my dad, right?" Both boys nod.

"You have our word," Kris says.

"And you got everyone else's word as well, didn't you?" Ralsei questions. Lancer sighs.

"Well, almost everyone." He faces them. "There's just one person I'm uncertain of."

"Jevil." Both Kris and Ralsei say in unison with annoyed careless tones. The blackjack nods.

"That's right, if Jevil is on the loose in this castle, my dad might not be safe." He turns back around. "So I need to make sure the strongest precautions are taken before I leave." Kris nods.

"Understandable, go ahead." Lancer nods and levitates inside the castle. The cyan boy faces his goat friend. "Well, should we go find Susie now?" He asks. Ralsei turns to the side and blushes.

"Not yet, let's just wait for Lancer to bring her out." He mumbles quietly while facing away from him. Kris raises an eyebrow and steps forward.

"Ralsei, are you nervous about something?" He asks. The shaded goat meekly looks into his eyes.

"Well, to be honest, I'm a little emotionally rattled." He begins to say. Kris gives a sympathetic look.

"Is it about your crush on Susie?" Ralsei shakes his head and faces him.

"Kris, I lied about that. I'm not attracted to Susie in any way." He sighs and looks back to the ground.

"Are you attracted to someone else?" The human asks. The dark prince begins sweating subtly and nods slowly. "Is it someone you're a little scared to tell me about?" Ralsei's blush fades.

"Kris, you're my best friend." He glooms and looks back at the ground. "And I don't want you to think anything less of me." The young human takes a few steps towards his friend.

"Ralsei, no matter what secret you tell me, I promise I'll never think anything less of you." Ralsei smiles under his collar and looks into his eyes.

"Really?" The charismatic boy smiles and nods.

"Of course not. You are my best friend, and if you have something to tell me, I think I can keep it silent around others." Ralsei shivers for a few seconds.

"Thank you." He says as he attempts to collect his courage. "Now, Kris, a crush is a very common thing, and…" He pauses as he feels his temperature rise. "Falling in love is something even bigger." Kris pats him on the shoulder.

"Ralsei, I know all the details. But if I could remind you of one thing you told me once." He lifts the shaded goat's chin and looks into his eyes. "Don't be afraid to express yourself."

"Okay." The dark prince meekly responds.

"Now, who is your secret admiration?" He asks. Ralsei feels his heart pound madly in his chest. He finally gathers the courage to look into the human's eyes and speak.

"You." Kris pauses as Ralsei turns back to the ground.

"Me?" He asks. Ralsei nods frantically and faces the other way. "Can you tell me when this started?" Ralsei takes a deep breath.

"The moment I looked into your eyes after Jevil cut your hair." He truthfully responds. "Ever since, I've found myself unable to take my eyes away from you." Kris sighs.

"Wow, I never thought a darkener would ever take interest in a human." Ralsei shrugs and glooms.

"I'm sorry Kris, you're a really sweet person. But I get that you're probably a straight boy who likes girls." Kris turns away. "If you'll accept this crush, I can put my feelings aside and we can go on just being best friends." Kris continues staring into space as Ralsei sighs sadly. "Or, you can laugh at my unfortunate emotion, I'm sure Jevil will do plenty of that later." Kris turns back around.

"Ralsei, you're actually in love with me?" The dark prince faces the other way.

"I knew it would hurt our friendship." He says in a sad tone. "If you want to turn around, collect Susie and Lancer, and then never speak to me again," Tears make their way to his eyes. "I'll understand." He continues crying quietly as Kris stands there for a few seconds. He chokes on his tears as the cyan human wraps his arms around him. "Kris, what are you doing now?" He asks. "I know you like to comfort me, but I think this time I'll have to heal on my own."

"Ralsei, I understand how you feel pal," Kris says with a humble smile on his face. "So please don't cry anymore."

"Okay." Ralsei sniffles. "But still, recovering from a hopeless romance isn't something that happens right away. It's going to take a long, long, time to get over this feeling." He continues streaming tears as Kris stands up and smiles.

"And who says this has to be a hopeless romance?" Ralsei flinches and his eyes widen.

"Kris?" He looks up at his best friend. "What do you mean?" The human gives him a humble, passionate smile.

"I mean who says your affection for me must be forbidden?" Ralsei glooms lightly.

"Well… you?" Kris shakes his head.

"Ralsei, just calm down and let me tell you how I feel." The shaded goat sits down and looks into the human's eyes.

"Okay." Kris closes his eyes and continues smiling charismatically.

"I know exactly what forbidden love is. All my life, I've dreamed of meeting and falling in love with a beautiful human girl." He holds his arm beside him. "Only to find that I'm the only human in my world. So I gave up on the thought of love a long time ago." He pauses for a few seconds. "However, though I used to believe love took a long time to form, a friend taught me something else." He opens his eyes. "It doesn't matter who or what species you are, anyone can love anyone else if they believe they can." He points at him. "Ralsei, when we first met, your expectation was that I would be your best friend, is that correct?"

"Yeah. Though it was only wishful thinking at the time." The shaded goat says in a sad tone. "I didn't actually think you'd become my friend." Kris grabs him by the shoulders.

"Ralsei, for the longest time, I thought I'd never find love. But there's only one true quality I want in my soulmate." Ralsei looks into his eyes and sheds a tear. "I want them to genuinely love me back. And I can tell you wholeheartedly care about me. So how about you stop crying, and let's hug this out?" Ralsei continues crying tears of joy. He never imagined Kris would be this reasonable.

"Aw, Kris!" He gets up and nearly tackles him. "Thank you so much!" He powerfully wraps his arms around the cyan boy's back and holds him close. The humble boy hugs him back.

"You're welcome." He responds. Ralsei smiles happily.

"I love you, Kris." He passionately says. The human smiles back.

"I love you too, Ralsei." He says. Ralsei ends their hug.

"Look, Kris, I appreciate your kindness but," He looks into his eyes and blushes. "Are you sure you're not just being polite?" Kris chuckles and rolls his eyes.

"Perhaps I wasn't clear enough." He grabs Ralsei by his fluffy cheeks, causing him to blush madly. "Maybe this will clear this out." Kris pulls Ralsei's face to his own and locks lips with him.

"Mm!" Ralsei's eyes widen at the sudden kiss. A happy tear leaves his right eye as he closes it. He grabs Kris by the cheeks and returns the pressure on his mouth. Both young boys breathe through their noses as they absorb each other's oxygen. After twenty seconds, Kris let's go.

"Well pal, how did that feel?" Ralsei smiles happily as his eyes water in joyful tears.

"Kris… that felt amazing." He passionately says. Kris hugs him tightly again. The dark prince returns the embrace.

"Do you believe me now?" The handsome boy asks.

"Of course, Kris," Ralsei responds. "You're a very, very special person." Kris kisses him on the cheek.

"And you Ralsei, are very special to me." The shaded goat blushes again.

"Is this a dream?" He asks.

"It's a dream come true." The human responds in a soothing voice as he takes his best friend's left hand and puts it to his own chest. "And now that I love you, you'll remain in my heart forever." Ralsei smiles as he feels Kris's heartbeat.

"Kris." He whispers almost inaudibly. "Thank you so much." The handsome boy lets go of his hand and continues hugging him.

"No Ralsei, thank you for opening the joy in my lonely heart. Thank you for teaching me happiness." He squeezes his best friend tightly. "Thank you, for being there for me since the beginning. And I promise in return, I'll stay by your side until the end."

Ralsei continues hugging the loving boy and thinks about his blessings. This boy isn't someone he ever thought he'd have a chance to meet, but now look how far they've come. The void in his empty heart has been filled and his sad feelings have healed. All he can feel now is eternal happiness. With someone who is now closer to him than his best friend at his side, he'll never look back to feel lonely again.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Damn, that was hard to get through writing without a few tears. I adore both of these characters dearly and ever since Ralsei took his hat off at the end of chapter one, this part of the story was the chapter I knew I'd look the most forward to writing. Thanks for reading Chapter 5, and please have a nice day!**


	6. Susie's Endearing Sacrifice

Susie's Endearing Sacrifice

 **Author's Note: After doing a little more planning, I've found a way to pull this chapter in another direction of its original state. Hope everyone is enjoying so far.**

* * *

Susie woke up around 7:00 in the same warm bed she'd fallen asleep in. Although, for some very strange reason, she didn't feel the same anymore. She tapped herself on the chest once to see how her injury felt, but to her excitement, all of her pain was gone. She'd never felt better in her young life than she feels now. But there's only one person she could imagine bringing this joy to her.

"Thank you, Lancer." She passionately mumbles to herself before smiling proudly. She exits the bedroom and bumps into the French chef. "Whoa!"

"AY!" The spinning servant falls forward and nearly drops his plate of waffles. "Owie!" He exclaims upon landing. One of the waffles tipped off and landed on the floor.

"Oh my!" Susie exclaims as she gets up and helps the man to his feet. "I am so sorry! Are you okay?" She questions prayerfully as the chef sneers at her.

"I was perfectly fine prior to your presence dear immature child!" He points to the door. "Now leave!" He says angrily. The dragon girl pauses, and then a sudden unexpected wave hits her.

"Please sir, I didn't mean any harm." She politely says as the chef raises an eyebrow.

"Hm. You're definitely not who I remember you as." He remarks. "But after you ruined my beautiful cake, I can never forgive you!" Susie smiles cutely.

"Come on sir, we fixed it and gave it back to you." She reminds him. The French man facepalms.

"And now, you've ruined the breakfast for our royal king!" Susie flinches.

"Oh my gosh! This plate of waffles was for K. Round?!" She exclaims. The spinning chef nods once and tears approach his eyes.

"If he isn't satisfied, he may never trust me with his cooking again!" He whines. "For I was this close to becoming the permanent chef of the Spade Castle." Susie picks up the waffle off of the floor.

"Dude, it's just one waffle." She points out. "There are still seven more for the king." The chef frowns.

"And? He wanted eight waffles to be delivered to the throne immediately! Now there are only seven!" He complains. The humble dragon pats him on the shoulder.

"Hey, I'll tell him what happened alright? I'll tell him it was my fault you dropped one." She promises. The chef's frown begins fading.

"Really?" He asks in a pleading tone. Susie smiles and nods.

"Of course, you made one for me, so I might as well pay the bill." She says as she tosses the grain pastry into her mouth. The spinning chef gasps.

"Oh dear! That was an unsanitary waffle you just consumed!" He exclaims as Susie finishes chewing.

"So?" She swallows. "If you knew what it was like to starve, I'm sure you'd eat it too." The chef glooms lightly.

"Starve? Don't your parents ever feed you?" He asks in a sad tone as she shakes her head.

"Not very often." She shamefully admits. "My parents only leave me with a loaf of bread, and a couple of slices of lettuce each night." She sighs for a second. "My dad says it's not his job to feed me very much, but it's only his responsibility to ensure I don't die of starvation." The spin chef begins bawling.

"You poor, poor lass. I'm incredibly sorry for your torture." He weeps. Susie gives a slight smile.

"Everything else I eat, I have to hunt for." She looks toward the floor. "But I can't say I haven't scared people as they watched me eat them." The chef sighs.

"Well young lady, if you ever find yourself in need of another pastry, please don't hesitate to ask me." He gives her a trustworthy smile. "I'll share my food with you if you're ever hungry." The purple reptilian girl sighs contently.

"Sir, you don't need to do that for me." The chef shakes his head rapidly and holds out his plate.

"Here, please take these waffles." He insists as Susie holds her hands out.

"Again sir, I really don't need them. What about the king?" She reminds him.

"Nonsense!" He says heartily. "A growing girl like you needs to eat. And I'm sure our humble highness won't mind waiting another few minutes." Susie takes the plate of delicious waffles and a tear comes to her eye. She looks up and brushes her hair aside to reveal her watering eyes.

"Thank you very much, sir." She says with gratitude. "I'll never forget this generous feast you've given to me." The spin chef smiles and rotates a couple of times.

"What can I say? Bon Appetite!" He blows a soft kiss as he finishes spinning and holds his arm to the door. "Please, go off and enjoy your breakfast young lass. I'm happy that I could feed you." Susie's heart leaps upon hearing that. She exits the room and sits down at a table adjacent to a window.

"That was very sweet of him." She says to herself as she glances at the stack of wheats. "Wait, what's that?" She asks as she steps toward the window. She pauses curiously once she spots her two friends hugging closely. "Kris, Ralsei?" She squints firmly. "Are they… kissing?"

* * *

Ralsei suddenly freezes as the glance of Susie staring at them catches his eye. He abruptly pushes Kris off of him and the human gives a confused look.

"Ralsei, what are you doing?" He asks. The shaded goat points upward at the teenage dragon.

"Susie is watching us!" He exclaims. Kris's blue face turns bright pink as Susie opens the window.

"Susie, it's not what it looks like! I swear!" He shouts up to her. Susie gives them both a seductive smirk.

"Awe, I really was right about you two being lovers, wasn't I?" She calls down to them from the second story. Ralsei and Kris blush deeply and face each other.

"Okay, now I kind of regret ever opening my mouth about my feelings," Ralsei says nervously. Kris gives Susie a firm glare.

"Alright Susie, you caught us. But you know what?" He says in an intimidating tone. "We don't care what you think! It's true, we are indeed lovers now. But we're not about to take any shit from you!" He exclaims as Susie chuckles a few times.

"Aw, you two are so cute!" She says in a squealy tone, causing both Ralsei and Kris to raise an eyebrow.

"Susie." The human says. "I've never heard you use that tone of voice before. What happened to being a gruff badass?" He asks. Susie rolls her eyes.

"Well boys, today I woke up and felt that maybe that persona wasn't fit for me." Ralsei gasps.

"But you love being the tough one!" He exclaims in surprise. Susie nods.

"Yes, I know." She glances to the side. "But I don't want that to represent me anymore." Kris steps forward.

"Susie, are you serious?" He asks as she nods. "No more intimidating random bystanders?"

"No." She responds.

"No more gobbling unattended food?" Ralsei asks.

"No." Kris and Ralsei both stare at each other for a few seconds and then glance back to her.

"Susie, you're honestly scaring me more than before!" The shaded goat calls up. "You're used to being scary and pushing weaklings like me around!"

"I know!" Susie exclaims back, and then she just smiles cutely. "But not anymore." Both boys exhale. "Seeing how many people disliked the inconsiderate jerk I used to be, I'm ready to sacrifice all my angry emotions, and start treating people nicely!" She says with a very happy look on her face. "It's for my one true love." The boys flinch.

"One true love?" Ralsei asks. Susie nods cutely.

"Yeah, and if this is what love feels like, then who am I to judge you two if you prefer being together?" Kris raises an eyebrow slightly.

"You don't seem like the kind of person who would let two gay boys get away without taunting them first." Susie rolls her eyes.

"Oh please, if Noelle Holidays wasn't always blushing whenever I'm close to her, then maybe I wouldn't already be used to this." She gives them both a daring grin. "But it sucks to be her because she's never gonna get this!" She begins laughing.

"Laughing at the expense of people who aren't here." Kris comments. "That's a well-known hobby for her." Ralsei rolls his eyes and faces her.

"Well then, who are you in love with?" He asks. She gives a seductive smirk.

"The dark prince himself." She says. Ralsei gives her a confused look.

"Why are you still smiling? Can't you see I'm taken?" He asks as she chuckles quietly.

"No, the other one." She remarks. Both boys gasp silently.

"LANCER?!" They both exclaim as she nods.

"Yep, and I hope you two lovers have a nice time making out!" She grabs hold of the windows. "I'll join you two in an hour!" She says cheerfully as she closes the windows. The two loving boys face each other.

"This is not good." Kris mumbles. "Lancer saw this coming and he's going to break her heart." Ralsei glares and makes a fist.

"I'll bet some serious money that Jevil is behind this!" He exclaims with fury. "We ought to take that jerk down!" The human facepalms.

"Please tell me you didn't inherit Susie's personality." Ralsei pauses at this comment as Kris continues. "It's not like you to resort to violence." The goat child inhales and his expression changes.

"Sorry, you're right about that." He gives Kris a casual, yet serious look. "But what if Jevil did this to us? We shouldn't let him get away with it." Kris sighs.

"I really hope not, and I hope Lancer goes easy on Susie." The human says in a shameful tone.

"He'll probably drive her to suicide," Ralsei mumbles, Kris's eyes shoot open and enlarge massively. "It'd be a shame if that happened."

"No!" The human exclaims as he faces his boyfriend. "We won't let it happen!" He grabs Ralsei firmly by the shoulder. "Ralsei, you have to promise me you won't let her do that!" The shaded goat sighs and nods.

"Alright, but what about Lancer?" He asks. "What if he says no?" Kris taps his chin.

"I don't know, but let's wait until they come out. Maybe he'll change his mind." The cyan boy says hopefully.

"Are you sure?" The meek goat asks. Kris shrugs.

"You thought I'd say no to you." Ralsei regains his smile. "And yet, here we are."

"Alright, Kris." The dark prince responds. "You're probably right."

* * *

Meanwhile, Susie proceeds feasting on her waffles as the young spade boy levitates into the room.

"Hey, Lancer!" Susie exclaims and waves adorably. "Come sit next to me!" The blackjack sighs and levitates to the seat beside her.

"Susie, what happened to you?" He asks. Susie swallows her food and faces him.

"I feel so renewed!" She exclaims happily. "I had the best sleep of my life last night!" Lancer smiles lightly.

"Really? That's nice to hear." He remarks. "But why are you suddenly so… enthusiastic?" He asks. Susie chuckles.

"You seem enthusiastic all the time sweetie! I thought I'd try it out!" She says as she slides her plate toward him. "Want some waffles?" The spade prince shakes his head.

"I'll pass." He faces her again. "But seriously, you look happier than I've ever seen you before." Susie pauses and then lowers her tone lightly.

"Lancer, I've decided I'm done being who I once was." His head spikes up at the sound of that. "I've decided I should give up my cruel behavior and be respectful." Lancer sighs.

"But, that's not who you are. I don't want to get used to a different Susie!" He pouts. She chuckles.

"Lancer, I've had a blast since I entered this dimension. But it was only last night I felt something, very unfamiliar." Lancer gasps internally.

"Really?" He nervously asks. The teenage dragon nods and smiles.

"Last night I discovered what I've come to learn is love." Lancer attempts to hide his fear.

"Oh, that's nice." He remarks. "How so?" Susie thinks for a second.

"I think it was when you helped me aid my injury." She stares dreamily into the clouds as she continues. "After being shot through the heart with a piercing arrow, you came in on your flaming bike to help nurse my pain." She gives him a loving look. "But Lancer, just having you there with me made me feel better, and you treating me to the luxury bedroom was a true honor." Lancer smiles lightly.

"I'm glad you're happy." He comments as she makes eye contact with him.

"Lancer, I spent last night thinking about my life back home and how miserable it was, and then I realized that maybe, with a better attitude, I can live a happy life in this dimension." Lancer glooms lightly.

"So you're saying goodbye to your badass persona?" He asks nervously as she nods.

"Yes, sweetie. After learning of my heartfelt endearment, I've decided a sacrifice for a happier life is the Susie I used to be." She thinks for a second and proceeds. "The Susie who pushed everyone around, the Susie who ate things that didn't belong to her without permission, the Susie who tried to bite people's faces off." She makes eye contact with him. "And most importantly, the Susie that almost murdered you the other day." The blackjack sighs again.

"I'm tougher than you think, you know?" She nods.

"I know you were willing to take that punishment." She shamefully says before lightening up. "But the point is, I'm not that sadistic person anymore. I don't want to be that Susie anymore. Do you understand?" The spade prince nods.

"Okay, I kinda liked your bad guy attitude, but I guess I can get used to the new you." He says in a sad tone. Susie's smile vanishes.

"Is something wrong sweetie?" She asks. Lancer faces her.

"Yes, and it's something I'm a little afraid to tell you." He admits.

"Lancer…" She begins to say. "It's fine." He gives her a confused look.

"Really?" He asks as she smiles.

"Of course, because I've got an important secret to tell you." The spade boy gulps.

"What?" He barely audibly mumbles.

"I learned through my emotional elevation, that I'm in love with you." She shamelessly states.

*God dammit! Why me?!* Lancer thinks to himself. The purple dragon proceeds.

"I learned in my dreams, that you're the one boy I've been searching for my whole life." Lancer turns away to hide his sad gloom. "You're that one very adorable irresistible boy that every teenage girl dreams of one day meeting, you know what I mean?" She asks with enthusiasm

"I understand." The sad spade prince responds quietly. Susie finally catches herself.

"So, I'm just going to ask you as it is, you adorable little Hershey kiss!" She begins.

*What the hell is a Hershey?* The blackjack thinks to himself as she continues.

"I'm at that point in my life where I have no real source of true happiness back home." She turns to stare at him. "Is there any chance I could just ask you on the spot; 'Lancer, you sweet little prince, will you be the royal servant to my heart and satisfy me to that level of true love that you only believe are possible in fairytales?" A few tears drop out of the prince's eyes.

"Susie, I'm extremely sorry, but no." He says. Susie's smile instantly disappears.

"No?" She asks and he nods shamefully. "But… weren't you tempted to kiss me yesterday?" Lancer sighs.

"I was trying to be flirtatious and maybe learn what a genuine kiss feels like. If I'd known I was leading you on, I would've stopped." He remarks. Susie pauses for a few seconds.

"Well, I guess I was a little too specific. But can I at least be your girlfriend?" She asks with an innocent smile. Lancer gives her an apologetic look.

"Sorry honey, I don't think we're right for each other." He states. Her eyes give off a desperate look.

"But you won't know for sure if we don't try it." She remarks in a pleading tone. "Can we please just go on one date and see how it goes?" He shakes his head.

"I'm terribly sorry Susie, but I don't want to." She looks down and brings her large strong hands to cover her eyes.

"Okay." She says in a broken voice as Lancer pats her on the back.

"Please tell me you're okay with still being friends." He asks. She nods but continues to cover her eyes.

"Of course." She mumbles. She then takes a deep breath and faces him. "Lancer, please give it a little thought." Lancer shrugs.

"I really don't see this opinion changing." He sadly says. "Sorry." She glances down at her battleax she carries with her.

"Lancer, is it who I am now? Is the old Susie more attractive?" He shakes his head.

"The result would've remained the same had you still been violent and aggressive. I'm sorry." He says. Susie sniffles for a second, and then stands up.

"Well, I'm terribly sorry as well. But I'm afraid I have to make one more request for you." She withdraws her battleax, causing the spade prince to shiver.

"AH!" He exclaims, only for Susie to point the ax in the direction away from the door to exit the castle.

"I don't want you to come with us on this adventure." She remarks, causing him to gasp.

"What?!" He shouts. "You don't want me in the party anymore?!" She frowns adamantly and shakes her head.

"No Lancer. It's too dangerous for you. You're too young to die." Lancer frowns and shrugs.

"Ralsei is almost a year younger than me! Are you gonna kick him out too?!" He exclaims as she shakes her head again.

"No Lancer, Ralsei is the smartest member on our team. If Kris and I go alone, we'll never reach our destination." She taps his chest with the tip of her ax. "You, on the other hand, don't need to come with us." Lancer glares.

"Now look Susie, just because you're mad at me for turning you down, that doesn't give you the right to kick me off the team!" He exclaims loudly. The purple reptilian teen sighs deeply.

"You don't get it, do you?" She lifts her head up so he can see her eyes. "I don't want you to get hurt. Whether you love me or not makes no difference, but I care about you too much to let you risk your life for us." Lancer's glare weakens into a frown.

"But that doesn't change much, you would've allowed me to remain a party member if I agreed to date you, wouldn't you?" The dragon girl sighs.

"You still don't understand." She holds her ax beside her ankle. "If you and I loved each other, our hearts would strengthen each other and give us the willpower we need to stay alive and protect one another, but seeing as you have no true love for me, it won't do us any good." The blackjack puts his hands on his hips.

"I can protect you." He asserts. She shakes her head.

"That's not what I'm worried about." She points her ax back at the door. "Out there is a very dangerous place, and if something happens to Kris or Ralsei, I need to be sure I'm there to protect them." She gives him an intimidating frown. "If we die out there, I don't want you dying with us. You're much safer in the Spade Castle than you are out there on the adventure." She walks over to the door as he watches her with a sad face. "I'm going now, please don't follow me." She asserts as she opens the door. Lancer sheds a couple of tears.

"I'm going to miss you, Susie." He says in a broken voice. Susie feels a jab in her heart from hearing that.

"I'll miss you too Lancer." She says as she battles her eyelids to hold the tears. "But… I still love you, and that's why you must stay here." The spade prince sniffles.

"Okay." He mumbles. Susie nods once.

"Goodbye." She says in a depressed tone as she exits the room. After a couple of minutes in the elevator, she's back outside.

"Susie, you're back!" Ralsei exclaims happily, before noticing the look on her face. "Is something wrong?" He asks concerned. The teenage dragon sighs and shakes her head.

"It's alright, I'll get over it later." She reassures, without succeeding to look happier. Kris raises an eyebrow.

"Wait, where's Lancer?" He asks. Susie sighs and faces them.

"I told him not to come with us." She says as a couple tears drip from her eyes. Ralsei glooms.

"You're crying." He sadly states. Susie sighs.

"I'm heartbroken. That's why." She faces the ground. "Lancer doesn't want to give me a chance." Kris sighs.

"I'm really sorry Susie, but why isn't he coming?" He asks. She faces him.

"Well Kris, as sad as I am to learn he doesn't ever want us to be more than friends, I'd be even more heartbroken if anything bad happened to him." She continues bawling lightly. "I told him to stay because I love him." Ralsei begins crying as well, he feels both sad and touched.

"Awe, Susie!" He runs up and hugs her. "We love you too!" The dragon girl wraps her left arm around the shaded goat.

"Thank you Ralsei." She gives into his embrace as they both shed more tears. Kris steps forward, he's not crying, but he feels their pain as well.

"That's really considerate of you Susie." He compliments. "I'm really proud of you." He says as he joins the hug. Susie wraps her right arm around him.

"You three are the only friends I've ever had." She says with a joyful smile. "You guys are the only people I've ever met that actually care about me, and I hope going forward, nothing happens to any of you." She states. Kris sighs and breaks away from the hug.

"Wait, what about Jevil?" He asks. Ralsei unwraps his arms from the purple dragon.

"Honestly Kris, I couldn't care less if we leave him behind." The meek goat establishes. The cyan boys sighs deeply.

"Susie? You want to break this tie?" He asks. Susie regains her strength and frowns.

"I don't want Jevil coming with us either. He's been nothing but a jerk since last night." Ralsei nods once.

"I second that." Kris sighs and faces the castle.

"I can't help but think he's disgruntled. But I feel bad for him." He glances back to Susie. "Besides, the Devil's Knife was so much deadlier than your battleax." Susie frowns.

"I can swing this thing harder if I set my mind to it, and then get used to it. I don't need a stupid Joker at my side." Ralsei nods.

"Me neither!" He asserts. Kris frowns and steps forward.

"Well, if we're going for good now, I'm in charge." He says with initiative. "And today, I'd like to travel slowly." Ralsei smiles cutely.

"Whatever you say, Kris! I'm happy to be at your side until the end!" Kris smiles and nods once. Then he turns around and begins walking with Ralsei following him. Susie glances back at the castle and sheds one more tear.

"Goodbye, my forbidden love." She turns around and follows the boys.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Well, if you haven't guessed yet, welcome to the first step toward the conflict. If you've been enjoying this story and want to read more faster, please review. A little feedback or criticism always pushes me harder to produce more chapters quicker. Thank you for reading. Chapter 7, coming soon.**


	7. Jack vs Joker

Jack vs Joker

 **Author's Note: Seeing this story grow is quite astonishing for me. I guess the only real thing I can do is proceed writing. Enjoy the most action-packed chapter thus far!**

* * *

It'd been seven and a half hours since the trio left the castle, and they've only encountered a few parties of foes. While Ralsei and Kris stood strong and bravely stood up to their rivals, Susie wasn't really feeling up to it. She could hardly raise her ax behind her head, let alone swing it. Though, fortunately for her, the enemies seemed to notice her emotion and most of them didn't even target her. It was only a mere form of entertainment to the wild jester as he waited from the balcony window with a pair of long-range binoculars.

"Oh, ho, ho!" He chuckles audibly. "I see my friends are carrying on pretty well without me!" He sighs for a second and keeps watching. "Good for them." Roulx Kaard emerges from behind and grabs the joker by his shoulders. "HEY!" Jevil shouts as he drops the binoculars, they land on the stone floor of the balcony and shatter.

"Gotcha!" The royal duke exclaims. A bunch of Rudinn Rangers and Head Hathys back him up with their spears and staffs raised.

"What the hell is your problem?!" Jevil exclaims as he stares at the broken lenses. "Those binoculars were a special gift my best friend gave me before solitary confinement!" He shouts with fury. Roulx rolls his eyes.

"Didn't we tell you to get out of Spade Castle?" He asks in an agitated tone. Jevil growls subtly.

"Well, you blind dumbass! If you haven't noticed, the balcony counts as 'outside' now doesn't it?!" He asks in anger. Roulx eyes one of the rangers to come forward.

"Put the cuffs on him!" He commands. Jevil bides in all of his anger as the ranger locks his wrists together behind him.

"This is an unlawful arrest!" He exclaims. "I'm not even standing on the balcony floor!" Roulx twirls Jevil around so he can face them. The jester flinches once he notices the number of guards that are against him. "What's the matter?" He asks in a much lower tone. The head ranger slithers forward.

"The problem is we warned you to leave this castle immediately, and then you chose to overstep your boundary." Jevil rolls his eyes.

"Actually, you brainless snake, I simply decided not to go anywhere after I left." He asserts. "And right now, I'm enjoying a front row seat to the adventure of the fun gang I chose to quit." Roulx raises an eyebrow.

"Fun gang huh?" He questions with a dumbfounded look. "You don't seem like the type of person who would leave something fun." The joker sighs.

"I left because they were boring me. They took no agreement in my proposal to murder the Spade King!" He says with tense wrist movements. He wasn't succeeding to make any progress. Roulx stares at him with his arms crossed.

"When are you going to get over your grudge against the Spade King?" He asks. Jevil rolls his eyes and then glares at the duke.

"Perhaps when he's dead!" He exclaims. Roulx sighs deeply as the jester proceeds to hold his hands high. "Now how about releasing me from these annoying wrist traps?!" He asks as everyone shakes their head.

"I'll let you go on one condition." Roulx remarks. "You need to tell me you released the lighteners from the Miraculous Heartthrob." The joker lowers his eyebrows.

"And, do you really want me to lie to you?" He asks as Roulx gasps.

"You didn't undo your curse?!" He exclaims frightfully. All the guards begin chattering at each other with scared expressions.

"What?!" Jevil questioningly exclaims as everyone quiets down and faces him. "You told me to leave the castle, and Susie was asleep in said castle, it's not my fault I haven't run into her today!" The royal duke frowns.

"It's almost Four-thirty and you haven't retracted the card?" The jester sighs in annoyance.

"No, I haven't!" He answers. "But it's not legal to imprison me as a result of it." Roulx points to the elevator inside the castle and faces the head ranger.

"I've heard enough. He's guilty." Jevil growls loudly as the duke continues. "Take him back to solitary confinement." The Rudinn Ranger slithers behind Jevil and pushes him forward.

"You cannot do this!" Jevil angrily shouts as the crowd of guards move aside for them to get through.

"Actually, we can." The ranger remarks. "No one ever approved of your release in the first place." He says as they enter the elevator. He selects the mystery floor button and the door closes behind them. Jevil sighs loudly and his anger turns into sadness.

"But I don't want to go back to prison!" He pouts emotionally. "Nobody ever comes and visits me!" The ranger slaps him on the back of the head. "Ow!" He yelps.

"You have the right to remain silent." He asserts. Jevil glares deeply.

"You have no legal right to assault a criminal already contained." The ranger slaps him again. "Ow!"

"I said be quiet!" He exclaims in a gruff voice. Jevil sighs as they reach the mystery floor. "Now I hope you have fun in your home sweet jail cell." He tauntingly says as the joker levitates a little higher, but still in the ranger's reach.

"No." He says in a quieter tone. "I refuse to go back." The jester quietly remarks. The ranger frowns and stabs him with his sharp sword. The joker yelps quietly but doesn't verbally respond.

"Get in the damn cell!" He shouts as the joker tugs away from him. He then frowns sinisterly and turns around.

"Oh, knock it off with the police brutality!" Jevil exclaims loudly. The ranger glares at him.

"Technically, I'm allowed to beat you until you bleed if you don't comply to arrest." Jevil makes a horrifying glare.

"OH REALLY?!" He screams. The ranger shrugs.

"You can scream all you want Jevil. No one can hear you!" The ranger reminds him and raises his sword. "Get in the jail cell right now!" He exclaims.

"Never!" Jevil furiously responds.

"Fine!" The ranger fires a diamond spear from his sword.

"Metamorphosis!" Jevil exclaims as his body shapeshifts into the Devil's Knife. The spear ricochets off of him as the ranger gasps and the handcuffs fall to the floor.

"What the hell?!" The ranger exclaims in shock. "How did you do that?!" The joker transforms back into himself and frowns darkly at the ranger.

"I can do anything." He says in a sociopathic tone. "And now," He summons a bunch of spades, clubs, and hearts. "You're going to wish you could do anything about this!" He fires the barrage of suits at the ranger.

"NO!" He exclaims loudly as the projectiles shred him in multiple locations. He falls on his back and releases his pain. "AAAAHHHHHH!" He loudly screams in response to his agony. Jevil rolls his eyes and steps on him. The helpless ranger worryingly locks eyes with him.

"You pathetic dumbass." Jevil comments in a disappointed tone. "You just told me no one could hear us." The ranger shivers madly. "And now you would like to try your luck as nobody comes to your rescue?" He asks. The ranger shivers as tears come out of his eyes.

"Please, don't kill me." He mumbles in a scared tone. Jevil frowns and holds the Devil's Knife to the ranger's heart.

"Really? You want me to grant you mercy?" He asks. "After slapping and stabbing me despite my pleas not to, you have the nerve to lie in pain and tell me you're innocent?" The ranger continues shedding tears as Jevil sneers at the sight of his empty cell. "Perhaps you'd feel better if I threw you in jail and saw how you like it." The ranger rapidly shakes his head nervously.

"No! Please! I'm sorry!" He begs prayerfully. Jevil sighs and withdraws his diamond card.

"You know what? I'm sorry too." He casts the diamond card and helps the ranger up. "In fact, I'd like you to continue living a happy life." The ranger gasps and nearly weeps.

"Really?!" He couldn't believe this. Jevil smiles proudly and nods.

"Yes, in fact, I think it's time you retire your life of assaulting prisoners and go home to your family." He says as he hands the Rudinn a shiny crystal.

"Ooh! It's so pretty!" He exclaims in excitement as he faces the Joker. "How can I ever repay you?!" He asks happily. Jevil gives a coy smile and points at the elevator door.

"You can quit your job as the head ranger and spend your rich diamond on a large mansion for your family." He says as the ranger squeals.

"Are you kidding?! This crystal might as well buy me this entire castle!" He shouts. "Thank you so much!" Jevil humbly shrugs.

"Oh please, don't thank me. Thank the rich diamond card." He reveals the card and the ranger gasps in awe.

"Wow! You decided to use this card on someone who abused you?! You're too pure for this world!" He praises. Jevil shrugs.

"I'm humble, I know." He points at the elevator. "But please, go home now and tell all the guards to fuck themselves on the way out." He says as his expression changes.

"Oh for you, anything!" The ranger shouts as he dashes up the stairs and enters the elevator. Jevil gives a sinister smirk as he reads the label of the card.

"Give your enemies the illusion of infinite wealth so they'll spend money until the point they can't afford their own clothes." He smiles evilly and levitates toward the elevator. "In one week, he'll be living inside a trash can where he belongs." He waits for about a minute and then taps the button and the elevator comes back to him. After he rides back up and exits the moving floor, the guards are all standing with shocked expressions. "Oh, what is the matter, everyone?" Jevil tauntingly asks. Roulx begins shedding tears.

"It was horrible, our head ranger dashed out and told us to fuck ourselves!" He flinches once he makes eye contact with the joker. "Wait! What are you doing out?!" All the guards raise their weapons and face him.

"I paid your stupid guard off so he would spare me." He reveals the Rich Diamond. "I gave him an illusion that will trap him in poverty forever." Everyone gasps as he slips the spade card out behind his back.

"You cannot do that!" Roulx shouts.

"I can do anything!" Jevil retaliates. All the guards point their weapons toward him.

"Get him!" Roulx exclaims. Jevil doesn't move an inch as the guards charge toward him.

"On the contrary," Jevil says with a sinister frown as the guards approach him quickly. "I'VE GOT YOU!" He quickly flashes the spade card in front of him and suddenly all the guards stop charging.

"Whoa!" One of them grunts.

"Our weapons!" Another shouts. "They're heavy!" Roulx begins crying subtly as he sees the jester hold a mystical shovel up.

"Why?" The duke asks, almost unable to speak. Jevil levitates out of reach and waves around at the guards, now holding shovels instead of spears or staffs.

"Fear not dear servants," Jevil calls out in a savior's voice. "I only have one request upon all of you." The Rudinns and Hathys gasp as he holds the spade end of the shovel toward them. "All you have to do, to get your weapons and powers back, is dig a deep hole to bury the Spade King in." The royal duke holds his hands in front of his mouth.

"Why did you dare play the Spade Slave?" He asks in a broken voice. Jevil sighs and descends next to him.

"Well Roulx Kaard, sometimes the entire world is against you. And the only way to even things out is to play dirty." He faces the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, as punishment for harassing the lighteners, and unlawfully arresting me, I command you to go outside and dig the deepest hole you can imagine! We're going to bury the Spade King in the backyard!" The guards stare at their shovels as Roulx sighs.

"I can't believe you actually played that card." He remarks as the guards walk outside with saddened looks. Jevil shrugs and pats the duke on the shoulder.

"It's alright Roulx. The lesson has been learned." He closes his eyes and holds an arm beside him. "Next time I warn you all that I'm going to get you, please don't make it worse." He shoves the shovel into Roulx's hands and points to the door. "Now get digging." The duke frowns and shakes his head.

"No! You can't do this! This is illegal! Slavery is against the law!" He exclaims. Jevil tauntingly shakes his head.

"Sorry pal, you should've thought about that before you broke the law first and had me imprisoned." He firmly points at the door. "Now get moving pretty boy! That hole won't dig itself!" Roulx sighs and shakes his head.

"Jevil, you're a mad, mad, mad, person." He says in a defeated tone. Jevil shrugs.

"Well Roulx, you're no less guilty yourself for harassing children, setting traps, or making our new King wear a crown that hurts his head." Roulx gasps.

"How do you know all of this?" He asks curiously. Jevil transforms back into the Devil's Knife.

"I've been with the lighteners since they entered in the castle." He transforms back. "Even though despite the lighteners going all out on me, Susie didn't swing my weapon once at anyone other than the Spade King." He sighs in a depressed tone. "And we all know how that battle ended." Roulx nods shamefully.

"I guess you're right." He faces the jester. "But you're not actually serious about murdering King Spade, are you?" Jevil folds his arms.

"I'm done joking Mr. Kaard." He points to the door. "Get out and get to work please." He states.

"You're a nut," Roulx says as he exits the room. Jevil smiles widely.

"Now I feel very well avenged!" He exclaims victoriously.

* * *

In the next room, Lancer finished writing a paper he decided to write after spending all day thinking about his friends. He glances over the letter and proofreads it.

*Dear Susie, I'm really sorry for being so tough on you earlier. After a few hours of being alone in the castle, I still can't get you out of my head. If you'll ever come back and change your mind about letting me stay on the team, I'd love to spend time getting to know you, and who knows? Maybe one day I'll love you back.*

"That looks pretty good." The spade prince comments to himself as he writes one last part. "Your best friend, Lancer." He sets the pencil aside and exits his room. He pauses at the sight of Jevil dancing around manically.

"I won! I won!" He chants. "WAHOO!" He proceeds to celebrate. Lancer frowns.

"Jevil!" The joker turns around and faces the blackjack. "What are you doing?"

"I'm celebrating!" He exclaims. "Because, though your father is still alive, I've secured my revenge on everyone who dare oppose me!" He laughs hysterically as the prince levitates forward and hands him the letter.

"Okay. But is there any chance I can get you to read over this letter and spell check it for me?" The joker chuckles and grabs the paper.

"Oh, this?" He suddenly begins doing origami. "This little airplane is about to take off!" Lancer gasps.

"Wait!" He shouts as Jevil tosses the paper airplane off the balcony. "NO!" He exclaims sadly.

"Wahoo! We have liftoff!" Jevil celebrates as Lancer glares at him.

"Dude! I spent all day thinking over what I'd say in that letter!" Jevil rolls his eyes.

"Do you see any mailmen around here?" Lancer facepalms and points at his bike.

"I was going to deliver it to Susie myself!" He asserts as Jevil shrugs.

"Too bad, too sad. Just write another one." He rudely remarks. The blackjack glares.

"Say, didn't I ask you to leave this place?" He asks under suspicion. Jevil shrugs and shakes his head.

"I'm sorry, the last time checked, you were joining the lighteners on their odyssey." He opens his eyes and makes eye contact with him. "So why do you care where I am?" Lancer sighs.

"Susie told me not to come with them." He shamefully admits. "She said she'd rather die in battle knowing I'm okay rather than surviving a battle when I don't make it." Jevil metronomes his finger.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk." He turns around and shrugs. "Typical bullies. They think they're so much better than you and so they need to belittle the people who trust them." Lancer flinches and then gives Jevil a stern look.

"Take that back!" He asserts. Jevil shrugs.

"As if I need to take orders from someone one fifth my age." He gives the spade boy a careless look. "Besides, if Susie said that, that's just a polite way of saying; you're too weak to be part of this team." Lancer's eye twitches.

"Jevil! You're triggering me!" He exclaims as the joker giggles a few times.

"You look hilarious when you're angry." He teases. "Perhaps someone needs a nap?" Lancer stomps his foot on the floor.

"That's it! I'm having my servants arrest you!" He levitates to the hallway and pauses. "Wait, where is everyone?" He asks nervously. Jevil gives him an evil smirk.

"I'm afraid they cannot hear you." He answers as he opens the curtains. "For they are now under my control." Lancer gasps and his hidden eyes widen.

"What do you mean?!" He exclaims in fear. Jevil points out the window.

"Look down." The spade boy levitates closer to the window and gasps at the sight of the servants creating a crater in the grass.

"What did you do to them?!" He asks in panic. "Why are they digging?!" Jevil careless shakes his head.

"These poor fools thought defying a chaos lord would grant them a promising fate." His expression turns sinister. "And now I'm having them dig a gigantic hole we will place your father in after I kill him." Lancer immediately turns around and summons a few spades.

"Alright Asshole! You've stepped over the line!" He poises himself. "You're going down!" Jevil chuckles.

"Go ahead, strike me down." He boldly responds. "Everyone is waiting for it, go ahead and kill me." He dares. The blackjack halts his spades.

"What are you playing at?" He asks as Jevil turns around and faces him.

"I'm playing for keeps. If you make a single move, I'll have the full legal rights to counterattack in self-defense." He folds his arms and faces away. "But seeing as how you're only thirteen, it'd be a shame to have to kill you." Lancer resummons the spades.

"I think you're bluffing." He states. Jevil opens his eyes.

"Am I?" Lancer flinches as the joker levitates forward. "My power is beyond your own. With a little determination, Kris was able to guide his team against me, but you are just one small boy with limited power." Lancer's spades fade.

"I suppose." He continues shooting daggers at the jester. "But still, what do you mean everyone wants you dead?" He asks.

"Face it, though your dad is the most heartless demon in the universe, everyone loves him so mercifully since they don't agree with an execution." Jevil pauses and proceeds. "I held a grudge against your purple girlfriend on account of sparing him, and the little goat boy with the toothpaste costume on account of healing him." Lancer raises an eyebrow in confusion.

"You mean Susie and Ralsei?" He asks as the jester nods. "But Susie isn't my girlfriend." Jevil sighs.

"Then it appears you broke her heart." Lancer sighs in shame.

"I already knew that, and that's why I wanted to give her that apologetic letter." He states. Jevil makes eye contact with him.

"You're a nice boy, you know that?" Lancer's expression lightens up slightly.

"Really?" The joker nods.

"Indeed, in fact, I think I can trust you with a little secret." Lancer glooms at the floor.

"Secrets… I suppose so." He says in a sad tone. His eyes light up as Jevil withdraws a bow and arrow. "What the hell?!" He exclaims as the sinister imp pulls the bow back as far as he can.

"If you don't want Susie to feel heartbroken, then let me help you with that." He lets the arrow fly.

"Whoa!" The spade boy quickly fleet-foots to the floor and the arrow flies over his face. He closes his eyes at the sound of the arrow piercing the wall. "Why'd you do that?!" Lancer asks in fear as he gets back on his feet and continues panting. Jevil gives a fake innocent look.

"I'm sorry. I was only trying to help you reach your heart." His grin turns dark. "Like I did with Susie." The blackjack gasps and nearly freezes to the core upon hearing that.

"You…" Jevil nods. "You put Susie in love?" Lancer manages to say with a completely astonished look on his face.

"Indeed I have, and seeing as how happy Ralsei is right now, I don't see how I've done anything wrong." Lancer glares.

"You're the reason Susie and Ralsei fell in love with me and Kris?!" He roars. The joker tauntingly bobs his chin up and down.

"Aw, you look angry again." He starts chuckling repeatedly. "It's so priceless!" Lancer summons a few spades.

"I am going to kill you!" He shouts as he fires the sharp tips at the jester.

"Ha, ha, ha!" Jevil's neck bounces around on a spring as the spades strike him. "That tickled!" He cheers and then poises himself. "Let the games begin!" He suddenly teleports behind Lancer and fires five spades at him.

"AH!" The blackjack manages to avoid them, but when he faces Jevil, he's already behind him. Lancer sways back and forth to avoid the tiny spades as they come toward him. "What the hell?!" He exclaims. Jevil chuckles and teleports back in front of him.

"What? Did you really think I would only attack once?" Jevil asks as he taps his chin with a teasing look. "No wonder Susie was so easy to hurt." Lancer's eyes dart at him.

"That's it!" He hops on his flaming bike. "Take this!" He drives toward Jevil at full force and crashes his wheel onto him. The Joker's head bounces around again.

"Were those spades to small?" He snaps his finger and large ones appear. "Then let's play the ring around!" The spades fly at him in a single file pattern one at a time. Lancer spins donuts on his wheels and successfully escapes the wrath of the ring-around.

"My turn!" He shouts furiously as his bike generates a few spades of his own. Jevil laughs as the items strike his skin.

"Oh, ho, ho. You little sinner." He makes a dark grin. "My hearts go out to you." Lancer pauses.

"Hearts?" His heart rate picks up as a barrage of hearts circle him in a square's formation. "AH!" He rides around in attempt to avoid them all, but unfortunately, a lone heart hits him. "Ow!" He yelps. Jevil chuckles.

"Did I hurt you? I'm so sorry little prince." He taunts. Lancer revs up and slams his wheels against him again. "HA!" He squints as his body shifts. "Metamorphosis." He mumbles as he shapeshifts into the Devil's Knife.

"Oh god!" Lancer exclaims as he drives his bike around four floating knives as they moved toward each other and then propelled back out. After a few waves, he was hit. "Ah!" He struggles to stay on his wheels as Jevil transforms back. "My turn!" He summons five spades and launches them directly at the crazed Joker.

"Ha, ha, ha! This is really fun!" Jevil remarks as he summons a bunch of mystical horses. "Let's ride the carousel!" Lancer slams his fist to his handle.

"This is not a card!" He whines as a carousel propels a bunch of floating stallions his direction. "You can't do this!"

"I can do anything!" The joker responds as Lancer successfully rides along without getting hit. Lancer crashes his wheel against Jevil again. "Join the club young prince."

"Never!" Lancer declares as large clovers hover toward him in pairs of three. The spade boy proceeds to drive around and dodge the clubs as his spades strike the jester again.

"Hearts, diamonds, my powers have no limits!" Jevil exclaims as diamonds begin emerging from the floor. The spade boy drives back and forth as the diamonds miss him.

"Okay, stop that already!" He demands as he drives Jevil down again. Jevil stands up with a dizzy look.

"Who keeps spinning the world around?" Lancer cowers as another fresh circle of spades home in on him. This time he's struck by a loose end.

"OUCH!" He exclaims as he begins losing turbulence. The poor prince uncontrollably drives into another spade. "OW!" He exclaims as he falls off his bike. "Oh." Jevil chuckles and levitates forward.

"Do you surrender now, little boy?" Lancer glares and gets back on his feet.

"Not even close!" He summons more spades, this time seven of them hit the joker.

"Ha, ha, ha!" His head bounces around. "You seriously know no limits. Do you?!" More horses and ducks levitate toward him.

"Not the carousel again." Lancer mumbles as he jumps over and ducks under the moving animals. A lone duck bonks him on the head. "OW!" He exclaims before aiding his injury. Jevil gives him a taunting look.

"Is someone not cut out for the fun? Maybe Susie was right about you." Lancer grabs his bike and drives the joker down again. "You really are fun, aren't you?" He comments as a whole lot of spades branch out in a clock shaped barrage, twelve at a time.

"This is not fun!" Lancer shouts furiously as he successfully dodges the attack. "Screw yourself!" He fires a large spade at the jester.

"Ha, ha, ha!" Jevil laughs and smiles joyfully. "It's so beautiful." More clubs appear, they fire nine pellets out in lines of three at a quick pace. Lancer is grazed.

"Owie!" He takes a deep breath. "Stop being so chaotic!" He demands.

"Aw," Jevil says in a joyful tone as he summons a dark red blade. "Even the Devil's Knife is smiling." Lancer's heart stops once the knives reappear. He makes his best effort to avoid them, but unfortunately, a large red one strikes him.

"OW!" He screams as he falls off his bike again. Jevil levitates closer.

"You really are too week to be among the lighteners." Lancer stamps his foot.

"Shut up!" He fires ten straight spades at the floating jester. He laughs maniacally when he's hit.

"You've got a lot of spirit kid." He shivers tensely. "I can't take it!" He suddenly teleports all around the room and fires a single diamond each time. Lancer steps, right, left, up, up, down, down, left, right, and avoids everything.

"Not bad Jevil." He compliments as he grabs his bike. "But not good either!" His wheels generate spades that home in and strike the jester.

"Oh, this is it, Lancer!" He summons a barrage of everything. Lancer drives back and forth to avoid the spades and hearts, though, a diamond grazes his skin.

"Ouch!" He exclaims as he flips off his bike and lands into a club. "AH!" He painfully cries out. The joker chuckles evilly.

"I really think you should withdraw now." He recommends. Lancer gathers all of his strength and summons a large spade.

"No! I won't!" He sends the spade directly at the joker. Though Jevil doesn't laugh this time.

"Okay, you're beginning to tire me out." He comments as more diamonds emerge from the ground at a much slower pace. Lancer gives a daring grin as he easily avoids them.

"Aw, are you too tired?" He revs forward. "My bike is also two-tiered!" He slams the joker upward on his wheels. Jevil laughs once.

"Just kidding, you've earned my final chaos!" He transforms into the Devil's Knife.

"What?!" Lancer freezes in fear as a bunch of large knives begin falling from the ceiling.

"Bye-bye!" Jevil calls as the knives hit the floor and create a large eruption upon landing.

"AAAHHHH!" Lancer drives back and forth in full effort to avoid this minefield, but his tire trips up and he lands in an explosion. "OW!" He shouts as Jevil transforms into a huge knife and slowly lowers closer to him. "No!" The blackjack shuts his eyes as the knife gets closer, but he doesn't feel any pain. "Huh?" He opens his eyes and sees Jevil dancing around.

"Ha! You were so scared it was hilarious!" He exclaims. The spade boy frowns.

"Okay, that is it! Fun's over!" He gets on his bike and spins around rapidly, the spades hover in and strike the crazed jester in multiple spots.

"Aw, it's never over." Lancer facepalms. "Metamorphosis." The Devil's knives reappear and come toward the spade prince. As he makes it his best effort to dodge them, the big red one knocks him off the bike.

"OW!" Lancer screams loudly in agony. But the merciless jester proceeds the attack and he's hit again. "OW!" The spade prince falls forward on the floor nearly unable to move or speak. The joker reappears.

"Have you had enough already?" He asks in a more annoyed tone. Lancer nods lightly. "Good. Now I only need you to make one thing clear."

"What?" Lancer mumbles weakly. Jevil lifts up Lancer's head and whispers into his ear.

"Can I please kill your father now?" Lancer frowns.

"No!" He shouts as another Devil's Knife hit's him on the head. "Ouch!" His face plummets on the floor.

"And to think you could've run this tragic kingdom is pathetic!" Jevil pouts. He turns back to a motionless Lancer. "Well, he's dead." He makes a saddened face for a few seconds. "Why did I need to kill my own dear cousin?" He sighs deeply and mourns his helpless relative for a second. "I'm dearly sorry Lancer. But you were in my way, and I never once intended for anyone other than your father to receive this fate." He turns around and faces the door. "Don't you worry, your father will follow you into the tomb." As he's about to leave the room, a large spade blocks his path. "What the hell?!" Jevil turns around to see Lancer holding his head and arm up.

"Jevil…" The joker gasps.

"Lancer! How are you still alive after all that?!" He nearly squeals in fear as a countless number of spades appear in the room.

"I'm just getting warmed up here!" Lancer cries victoriously as he fires every single sharp spade at the floating joker.

"AH!" Jevil suddenly begins blinking. "No." He mumbles weakly as he descends to the floor. "You beat me." Lancer glares and nods.

"Damn right I did!" He summons a few more spades. "Nobody messes with my friends! Nobody!" He sends the spades at the weak jester.

"Ow!" Jevil cries out in pain and flops forward. He holds himself up on his right arm. "What?" Lancer levitates forward.

"What do you mean what?!" He shouts. "You played with Susie's heart! And now you and I are the reason she's heartbroken!" His eyes begin watering. "You should be ashamed of yourself!" The joker sighs.

"Lancer… I am." He says in a quiet, but completely serious tone. Lancer's mystical spades vanish.

"What? You're sorry?" He asks. The joker shakes his head.

"No, I am ashamed." He slowly gets up. "I am ashamed of myself for letting my hatred for the Spade King hurt the lives of other people." He squints. "But I'm not sorry I feel this way about him." Lancer frowns.

"Why do you hate my dad so much?" He asks. "Who did he kill?" The jester sighs.

"He killed almost everyone I knew, and then he threw me in jail." Lancer sighs.

"He killed your family?" He asks as Jevil nods. "Your best friends?" He nods again. "But why?" Lancer asks. "Why did he kill them?" Jevil sighs.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" He asks before frowning. "I will not confirm that to you." Lancer levitates forward.

"No seriously, why did my dad hate everyone you knew?" He asks as the joker turns away.

"I'm sorry Lancer, but I'm afraid the reason behind it is a little deeper than I'm capable of sharing." Jevil states. "But my only spite against your friends was allowing the king to win." Lancer sighs.

"Is that why you made Susie fall in love?" The jester nods. The spade boy sighs and points at himself. "But why me? Why'd you make me her love interest?" The Joker suddenly takes his hat off and faces him.

"I'm so sorry," Jevil says as he begins crying silently. "When I shot Susie, I wanted the satisfaction of watching her struggle to try maintaining a healthy relationship. When I found out you were in the area, my goal was to put her in love with you, and then the pain of being too scared to tell you would hurt her for a long time." The blackjack holds his arm out.

"But she did tell me! She told me this morning." Lancer remarks as Jevil turns away.

"I'm sorry. I actually thought you liked her back." He says. "I wanted a little revenge so she would be hopelessly in love with you, but I never took into account that you wouldn't return the feeling." He glances out the window. "Did you know when Ralsei told Kris how he felt, the young lad returned the feeling?" Lancer nods.

"I'm completely aware." Jevil turns back to him.

"But the courage they show in battle, the bond that allows them to strengthen one another." He pauses. "That power keeps them both determined, and if anyone including the Spade King ever did something to one of them, the other one would die in battle if it meant avenging them." He puts his hat back on. "If the Spade King knocked Ralsei down right now, Kris wouldn't show any mercy until the king was dead. He wouldn't hesitate to stab your father, he'd just bury the blade into his throat at full force." He sighs. "I thought, that as sinister as my revenge was, it'd be necessary, and good things would come later on." Lancer nearly weeps at this.

"So that's why you did this? You wanted to make them stronger?" Jevil shakes his head.

"No, my rage toward your dad lead me to that. But the only reason I didn't undo the spell is because I'd hoped I'd bring the team closer together." He points to the balcony. "But I failed. Here you are in the castle while Susie is out there risking her life for the fate of this world." He turns around. "I'm not a hero at all." Lancer sighs.

"Jevil, you've done some bad things for sure. But are you being honest with me right now?" He asks. The joker nods but continues facing away from him.

"Yes." He answers. "I thought maybe you'd have the heart to be Susie's boyfriend." Lancer flinches.

"Please be more specific." He asks. Jevil turns around.

"I thought maybe since you both come from broken homes with abusive parents and low-quality food, maybe you'd see right into each other's hearts and learn the feeling of love." Lancer sighs deeply.

"Jevil, I'm sorry this happened to you." He states. "However, I need you to understand something." He faces him. "I have to arrest you." Jevil sighs.

"Under what charges?" He asks. Lancer points outside.

"For enslaving my servants and nearly killing me, you need to spend some time behind bars." Jevil sighs deeply.

"Fair enough." He faces the door. "I'll go tell one of the Rudinns to lock me up." He says as he floats out, before stopping and facing him one more time. "Lancer." The spade boy looks up at him.

"Yeah Jevil?" He responds. The Joker gives him a coy smile through his sadness.

"Is there any chance you'll learn to love Susie?" He asks proudly. Lancer shrugs and glooms.

"I don't know." He responds. "Probably not." Jevil floats over to the area on the wall he hit earlier and pulls the arrow out. "What are you doing with that?" He asks as the Joker pulls out the Stop Codon.

"If I can help in any way, I'd like to combine these powers." He sticks the head of the arrow into the stop sign on the cover and the red heart on the end turns whitish. The spade boy hovers forward.

"What is that?" He asks as Jevil turns to him and smiles cutely.

"It's a change of heart." He responds. "You can use this to remove Susie's love for you and minimize it to a platonic friendship." He points at Lancer's heart. "Or, you can use it on yourself to learn what feelings she has for you and then share them." He hands Lancer the arrow.

"Thanks, Jevil, I think I'll reduce your sentence now." He says joyfully. Jevil chuckles.

"Alright, how long?" He asks.

"One week." The spade boy responds. Jevil nods coyly.

"One week, that shouldn't be too hard." He says as he floats out. After the jester is out of the room, the French chef enters the room.

"What did I miss young prince?" He asks Lancer.

"You missed the toughest battle I ever fought." The blackjack responds. "Hey," He faces the chef. "Can I get you to invite my three friends back here for a special feast." The chef gasps.

"A feast?!" He exclaims as Lancer nods. "But, it's almost five thirty! I don't know if I have time to track them down and then cook!" Lancer pats the chef on the shoulder.

"Come on sir, use one of the dimensional doors." He grabs a lighter. "And I'll get the grill started for you in the meantime." The chef smiles.

"Oui! Au revoir my friend!" He cheerfully shouts as he runs out of the room. Lancer looks back at the balcony and glances at his arrow.

"Please hang in there Susie." He says.

* * *

 **Author's Note: And, that was the longest one I've written so far. In case you're wondering about the Jevil battle, I was actually playing that battle as I wrote this chapter, and the times Lancer got hit, represented an attack I failed to avoid. Whenever he fell off the bike, one of the protagonists went down. Ultimately, Jevil's a tough foe and I failed to beat him, but I'm pretty sure if Lancer was playable, he would've been a walk in the park. Lancer's durability is off the charts in this game!**

 **Anyways, hope you enjoyed. Chapter 8 is next!**


	8. Susie's Breakdown

Susie's Breakdown

 **Author's Note: Well, after deciding to play the game yet again for another Fanfic I'm working on, to be accurate, a cinemasins parody over Deltarune, I've decided I should first, finish up this story. Ultimately, I should finish what I've started before moving on.**

 **P.S: Also, for the first time ever, I defeated Jevil without getting hit! So, I'd like to give a shoutout to my favorite YouTuber Merg, for this epic success. His expertise filled me with Determination!**

* * *

The three legendary heroes kept moving until finally, the spinning chef managed to catch up with them.

"Wait, young heroes!" He exclaims as the two boys and one girl turn around.

"What are you doing here?" Susie asks in a saddened tone. The chef smiles and puts his arms to his sides.

"I've been advised to summon you all back to Spade Castle for a royal feast, directed by Prince Lancer himself." Susie's eyebrows drop.

"Why is he doing this?" She asks as Kris shrugs.

"Who cares? It's going to be free, right?" The chef nods.

"Don't worry, the bill will be covered by the kingdom." He spins around and presents his arms widely. "So, without further ado, I'd be grateful if we could return to Spade Castle so I could begin my cooking." Ralsei and Kris grin happily.

"Wow! Is this really happening?!" Ralsei exclaims in excitement as the chef nods.

"Indeed, young children." He points to the dimensional door. "Now, let us make haste! That meal won't cook itself!" He exclaims heartily as he runs back through the door. Kris and Ralsei face each other, smile, and nod.

"Well, what are we waiting for?!" The shaded goat asks. "Let's go!" Both boys take a few steps forward, before the human pauses.

"Wait," Kris says as he turns around and spots Susie sitting on a rock with her head toward the ground and her arms crossed. "Susie, aren't you coming?" The purple dragon shakes her head.

"No thank you." She mumbles in a sad tone. "Go on without me." Ralsei sighs and steps closer to her.

"Come on Susie, it'll be delicious!" He says cheerfully. Susie sighs deeply and turns her head away.

"I don't care." She asserts. Kris sighs and steps closer to his depressed friend.

"Susie, this feast is going to fill you up. You've come a long way for a well-deserved meal." She glances at him once, allowing him to see her normally covered eyes.

"And, I'm not interested." She remarks, attempting to be intimidating, though, both boys can see the truth.

"Is this about Lancer?" Ralsei asks. Hearing his name causes a tear to come to the dragon's eye.

"Maybe… so what?" She asks as Ralsei comfortingly takes her hand.

"Don't be so sad." He says hopefully. "Aren't you and Lancer still friends?"

"Yeah," Susie says before her voice breaks. "And friends is all we'll ever be." She fights hard against the stream of tears that come to her eyes, but she can't beat all of them. Kris steps up to her and pats her on the shoulder.

"Please don't cry, Susie." He says as both of them hug her. She sniffles for a second.

"Please stop." She asks quietly. Both boys retract their arms and step back.

"You don't like hugs?" Ralsei asks in a sad tone. Susie shakes her head.

"No. They make me feel very odd inside." She responds.

"They're supposed to make you feel warm and fuzzy inside," Ralsei says with a cute look in his eyes. He turns to his handsome boyfriend. "I learned that the moment Kris hugged me for the first time." He says while blushing lightly.

"My mom hugs me every day before school," Kris responds before giving Ralsei a seductive look with his eyebrows. "But it felt even better snuggling a fluffy prince under his shirt." Ralsei's blush reddens as he faces the reptilian teen again.

"You see Susie." He asks. "We hug you because we care about you." Susie stops crying for a second. "The love Kris and I share knows no bounds." He gently strokes her arm. "But that doesn't mean we don't hold equally as much love for you too." Susie's tears vanish for a moment.

"You boys… love me?" She asks with a cute look in her eyes. Ralsei smiles and nods lightly.

"Of course. You're our friend." He answers. "Friends like you don't come randomly you know?" He gives an endearing look to her. "Friends like us were born to find each other, and destined to care for one another." Susie sighs.

"You're really too pure for me Ralsei." She says as she manages to smile lightly. "You really deserve friends that are much better than me." She shamefully says. Ralsei shakes his head.

"I disagree." He says. Kris smiles proudly and watches as he continues. "I've been alone for a very long time now." The shaded goat states. "And I've never had a single soul stand by my side up until I met you two." Susie chokes up lightly.

"But, I didn't want to stand by your side at first." She shamefully stares back at the ground. "All I did was insult you, patronize you, disobey everything you were correct about, throw you at a wild checker," Her eyes water as she faces him. "I even tried to kill you two the other day!" She buries her face back into her hands as she continues bawling loudly. Ralsei pats her on the cheek lightly, causing her to stop.

"Susie, I don't care about that." He lightly raises her chin so she can gaze into his adorable eyes. "You might have done some hurtful things, but I forgive you for all of them." She sheds a couple of tears and smiles hopefully.

"Really?" The jolly creature nods.

"Susie, everyone makes mistakes, but as long as you learn from them, and learn how to do better, you have no wrongdoings." He states. "Though you might've hurt me before, I'm willing to let all of that go, because the past is the past, and as long as you're sorry you did it once," He takes off his hat and reveals his white fluffy face. "Then if you don't do it again, you're completely innocent." Kris sheds a joyful tear of his own.

"Wow Ralsei, I'm starting to think I'm not worthy of being the soulmate of someone like you." Ralsei giggles.

"Sorry Kris, but I disagree with that comment." Kris nods once.

"Fair enough." He then looks back to the dragon girl. "Susie, everything Ralsei says is true." He states. "Whether or not Lancer loves you in any romantic way, he still holds you dearly to him as a friend." He holds his arm toward Ralsei. "And so do we." Susie sniffles once more.

"Thank you." She mumbles and stands up. "So you guys want me to join you for dinner?" Both boys nod.

"That'd be great," Kris says as he walks to the dimensional door. "Let's go!" He says as he opens it. Ralsei smiles cutely and steps forward before Susie stops him.

"Hey, Ralsei." She says with a proud expression. The meek goat turns around and smiles cheerfully.

"Yes?" Susie kneels to his level.

"Thank you." She says. Ralsei's face turns bright pink as the purple teen plants a kiss on his left cheek.

"Yo-you're welcome!" He nervously responds as he puts his hat on. Kris snaps and points at Susie.

"Watch it, Susie, he's mine!" He says daringly. Two seconds later both Kris and Susie grin.

"Alright." Susie chuckles. "I'll stay off of him." The trio enters the door and teleport.

* * *

Meanwhile down in the dungeon, Jevil floats into the room feeling both tired and slightly depressed.

"Okay, we're here." He says to himself before approaching the cell and withdrawing the key. "Only for one week." As he inserts the key into the lock, he flinches. "Hey!" Something in a trashcan moves.

"Yeah?" The moving object responds. Jevil turns the key and enters the cell.

"What are you doing in here?" He asks as the moving object lifts his head out of the can, revealing himself as a Rudinn.

"I don't know." The diamond creature responds. "I was invited here by the dragon girl, and just kind of lost track of time." The joker frowns.

"That was two days ago." He firmly points at the shiny ghost. "You're just slacking off because you'd rather be here than guard the castle!" He confronts as the Rudinn gasps.

"No, no, no! I just got tired, and the girl put the trash lid over my head, so I thought I was dead." Jevil rolls his eyes.

"You're already a ghost for Pete's sake!" He grabs the lid to the trashcan. "You can't even fit in the can without sticking out of the top!" The Rudinn shrugs.

"Hey, it's not my fault the dark fountain is giving me form!" He pouts. "The fact that I can feel pain bothers me!" The joker sighs.

"Look, as long as the lighteners are here, there's a fat chance the dark fountain will remain intact forever." He points outside the door. "Now get out, and lock the door behind you." Rudinn crawls out of the trashcan.

"Why?" He asks. "Why am I supposed to leave you behind?" Jevil frowns and points at himself.

"Because I need some time to think about my sin." He states. "Almost murdering the spade prince." Rudinn frowns lightly.

"You tried to murder Lancer?" The jester nods as the ghost rolls his eyes. "Whatever, I'm not going back out there so the king can find me." Jevil points at a prison wall.

"I'm sure he's in another cell right now. The lighteners overthrew him." Rudinn gasps.

"Really?!" He exclaims as Jevil nods. "Are you serious?!"

"Yes!" Jevil shouts with irritation and points out the door. "So you're free to go." Rudinn shakes his head.

"No way! If the lighteners are deadlier than the king, I'm remaining here!" He firmly establishes. Jevil gives him an evil grin.

"Do you want to join the other slaves in digging a huge hole?" He asks. The shiny ghost chuckles.

"Ha! I know you're bluffing!" He responds. Jevil facepalms and reaches into his pocket.

"Okay, you forced me to do something I'm going to dread." The Joker says as he pulls out a shiny gem. "Look!" The Rudinn's eyes sparkle.

"Ah! It's pretty!" He exclaims as Jevil waves it around, Rudinn's eyes following his every move.

"Do you want the glowshard?" The Joker asks as the diamond ghost nods rapidly. "Go get the glowshard!" He exclaims as he throws the shiny crystal outside the prison door.

"Oh boy!" The Rudinn dashes out of the cell immediately. Jevil quickly floats toward the door, locks it from inside and then tosses the key through the bars.

"Oops!" He mockingly exclaims. "I think I dropped the cell key." He shrugs hopelessly as the Rudinn picks up the shard, and then the key.

"That's fine." He states as he slithers closer. "I'll let you out." Jevil frowns and points toward the door.

"Nope!" He insists. "You can do that in one week." The Rudinn glooms.

"But I can't just leave you here." He remarks. Jevil smiles and shrugs.

"I'll give you another glowshard if you do." The Rudinn's eyes sparkle.

"Oh boy! Thanks, and goodbye!" He shouts as he dashes out of the dungeon. Jevil sighs deeply and descends to the ground.

"Wow, that was so pathetic." He sits on his rear. "That was like trying to play cops and robbers with a three-year-old." He mumbles to himself before he hears a rumble. "What was that?" He asks as the pebbles next to him bounce. "Who's there?" The entire wall bursts down and rocks fly toward the jester. "Spade Shield!" He sets up a large shield to block the stone debris.

"Finally!" The giant man shouts in a deep voice. "I'm free from the confines of this and cursed prison!" The person shouts victoriously. Jevil glares deeply.

"Actually Uncle Spade," He points at the locked door. "You only landed into another cell." The Spade King pauses.

"What?!" He glares intensely. "JEVIL!" He shouts loudly. "What are you doing here?!" Jevil gives him the middle finger.

"Oh, well fuck you too." He says annoyed before pointing back at the metal bars. "I'm afraid I'm a rightful prisoner." He points at the former monarch. "Just like you." Spade stomps on the floor.

"You're not supposed to be in this cell!" Jevil rolls his eyes.

"Actually, I am. This is an area for temporary prisoners." He glares intensely. "You better consider yourself lucky for now!" He asserts as the Spade King raises a hidden eyebrow.

"And why's that?" He asks in an intimidating voice. Jevil ignores his tough tone.

"If it weren't for two specific factors, I'd kill you right now." The former king gives a daring grimace.

"Oh really, what are they?" He asks.

"One, I only have one week of jail time, and I don't want it to be extended." He points at himself. "And two, if you and I were to fight now, you'd win." Spade rolls his eyes.

"Funny you mention that." He egotistically points his thumb at himself. "If I recall correctly, I beat you last time too." Jevil frowns.

"Well the apple doesn't fall far from the tree." The trapped monarch flinches.

"Wait." He chuckles lightly. "My son kicked your ass?" The jester nods.

"Yes." The Spade King begins laughing.

"Ha! You lost to a thirteen-year-old kid! HA!" He falls on his rear and slams the ground a few times. Jevil frowns.

"Indeed, because this kid was determined to protect you." Spade stops.

"What?" The joker glares and points at him.

"That's right! Had Lancer lost that battle, I would've come down here to kill you right away, but because he beat me, I'm too weak to fight you." He sits back on the floor. "So cherish your blessings you giant lard mountain!" The former king frowns lightly.

"Wow, I never knew an upbeat man like you would hold such a deep grudge." Jevil rolls his eyes.

"Well did it ever occur to you that you might've gone too far?" The Spade man shrugs.

"When?" The jester rolls his eyes.

"Let's see, you killed your own brother in law!" He asserts.

"So? Just because he's your dad doesn't make him innocent." Spade heartlessly remarks. Jevil's anger explodes.

"BUT WHY'D YOU DO IT?!" He screams at the top of his lungs. The former ruler holds his hand out.

"Calm down Jevil." The joker breaths heavily as he continues. "He was a traitor to our people." Jevil glooms.

"But just because he married a lightener, doesn't mean he's a traitor." He says before dropping his tone. "You killed my mother too." He says almost inaudibly. Spade sighs.

"Jevil, let me make it clear why I did that." The sad jester looks up to him. "My entire family was killed by lighteners when I was young." He states. "But my dad told me I needed to kill them all if they came after me." He raises his tail spade and poses like a badass. "And so I did!" He slams his tail toward a wall. "I killed every lightener responsible for my family's death, and then promised I'd kill every single lightener that comes to my castle!" The joker frowns.

"But my dad was a darkener, just like you. Why'd you kill him?" The Spade king sighs.

"Well Jevil, after I killed your mother, he challenged me." Jevil gasps.

 **Flashback**

The Spade King and Jevil's father battle with swords as they both tire out. "Both of us fought to the death, and my wife couldn't dare to watch it."

"What are you two doing?!" The queen exclaimed. "Why are my dear brother and husband trying to kill each other?!" Both of us faced her.

"He killed my wife!" Your dad shouted. "He must pay for his crime!" I glared and glanced at him.

"My crime? It is you who betrayed our dark world and married a lightener!" My wife didn't want to watch either man she loved die.

"Please, drop your weapons! No more of this!" I took one look into his eyes, he was both crying and glaring at me.

"No!" He shouted. "I must avenge my true love no matter what!" He exclaimed as my wife gasped in fear. And I knew he'd kill me in a second. The light side of him overpowered his soul.

"Please don't!" She shouted as he stepped closer and raised his dagger.

"You're going to fall no matter whom it may hurt!" He exclaimed before I swung my spade blade through his arm. "AAAAAHHHHHH!" The queen ran up and grabbed her brother as he fell.

"NO!" She looked me in the eyes and wept. "How could you?" She sounded desperate, and all I could do was tell her the truth.

"I killed him in self-defense," I told her. The injured man looked up at me weakly.

"No, you did it out of hatred." He then lost consciousness and never woke up.

 **Reality**

"So, I didn't want to kill your father any more than he wanted to kill me," Spade says. Jevil glooms but doesn't cry.

"Well I'm sure that had to hurt, but why did you come after me next?" He asks. The former ruler sighs.

"My dearest apologies Jevil, in all seriousness, I was scared of you." The jester's gloom becomes a glare.

"But you didn't kill me?! Why not?!" He asks in rage. "You beat me up and threw me in jail!" The retired king sighs.

"Actually, I only thrashed you because I knew you'd come after me if I didn't." He looks into the Joker's eyes. "But I'm not the one who imprisoned you." Jevil's eyebrows scrunch.

"Do you actually expect me to believe that?" He asks doubtfully. "If you didn't lock me away, then who did?" Spade sighs.

"Seam." The Joker's eyes widen.

"What?! My best friend?!" He slams the floor and points firmly at the spade man. "Bullshit! Seam would never lock up his best friend!" The former monarch sighs.

"Actually Jevil, he would." Jevil's glare gets weaker by the second. "He said when you woke up, you'd unleash all the power you and him built up within you."

"The power is called fun!" The jester interrupts. "Chaos is an energy fuel that builds up said fun! And I wasn't going to hurt anyone!" Spade sighs.

"No Jevil, Seam was right. He said the moment you found out about their deaths, you would go insane, and then after you found me, you'd kill me." Jevil makes a fist.

"But I didn't find out they were dead until after I was in jail!" He exclaims. "After a couple of days, I learned that no one was coming to meet me. But if my parents were alive, they'd visit me!" The former ruler sighs.

"I'm sorry Jevil, but I did what I had to do, and Seam did that to protect me and my kingdom." He holds out his hand. "Now, if we can forget about our past, maybe we can look toward the future." Jevil sneers at him.

"I don't believe you." He says with a stern look. "Seam and I have been friends since we were both babies." He stares at the ground. "He and I played together for many years. And as he got older, he became less like a brother, and more like an older uncle." Spade pats the Joker's shoulder.

"Jevil, I'm your old uncle. And you're a lucky man without the ability to age." Jevil sighs.

"I know. But I don't think I want to keep it anymore." He says in a sad tone. The spade man flinches.

"What? Why not?!" He asks in a shocked tone. Jevil sighs.

"The only thing that keeps me youthful, is fun. But the past ten years have been boring and downright dreadful while being alone." The former ruler sighs.

"Jevil, are you saying there's a spell that would remove your immortality?" He asks curiously as the jester nods.

"Yeah. I spent five years working on that card. I chose not to play it because I'd prayed someone would find me." He glooms and faces the floor again. "But I was tempted to play it and age rapidly to the point I couldn't stand up." Spade frowns.

"Don't be that way. Suicide is never the answer." Jevil looks up.

"Oh yeah? What's so great about being the only immortal person around?" He asks. "Do you think I want to make friends, watch them grow old without me until they die, and then repeat the process?" The retired ruler shakes his head.

"No, but you have to think of your purpose." The joker looks up sadly.

"What purpose? My purpose was to murder you for the longest time." He lowers his tone. "And now I have no friends to walk back to." Spade raises an eyebrow.

"Friends?" Jevil nods.

"Yeah. I befriended the three lighteners." Spade facepalms.

"Why did you do that?" He asks in a surprisingly calm tone. "I don't want to be ashamed of both my son and my nephew." Jevil frowns lightly.

"I joined them and gave them the Devil's Knife after they beat me hoping they'd kill you." He glares at his uncle. "Because I wanted the pain of loneliness to go away, and your very life is keeping that pain with me!" He firmly establishes.

"I don't understand." The older man says. "It sounds like you had some real trust for them." Jevil nods.

"I did. I wanted them to kill you in response to my deceased parents." He says. "And all the lighteners I grew up with!" The spade man sighs.

"Jevil, I only did it to avenge my own family, and I was worried the lighteners would kill my son if I gave them the chance." Jevil glooms for a second and faces him.

"Uncle Spade, I have a serious question for you." The former king nods.

"I'm listening."

"Did it ever occur to you that some lighteners might actually be really good people?" Spade shrugs.

"I don't know, but these three weren't. They beat me up." He states. Jevil shrugs.

"They beat me up as well." He pauses and then continues. "But did you ever stop and think maybe they're only doing it because we're trying to kill them?" The former king raises an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" He asks curiously as Jevil smiles coyly.

"Maybe, these lighteners don't want to kill us." He gives a happy expression. "Maybe these lighteners are just scared, innocent people that we're trying to kill. But we don't need to kill them." Spade frowns.

"Are you saying you trust these lighteners?" Jevil shrugs.

"Well, kind of." The older monster sighs.

"Come on Jevil, not you too." Jevil rolls his eyes.

"Well sir, perhaps you didn't realize it. But when they could've easily ended you, they put their weapons away and healed you." Spade flinches quickly. "Does that make them bad people?" The former monarch grabs the joker firmly and pulls him closer.

"Who told you that?!" He demands to know. Jevil rolls his eyes.

"Alright tough guy, calm down." He closes his eyes. "Metamorphosis." The Devil's Knife appears in the king's arms.

"What? You can shapeshift?" He asks as the jester transforms back.

"Yes, and I watched you backstab the lighteners after the fight." Spade sighs.

"Jevil, this is all true." He makes eye contact with him. "But I only did it because I promised my father, I'd do whatever it took to protect my kingdom after his death, and killing all lighteners was part of that promise." Jevil rolls his eyes and sits down.

"Well, when this week is over, I'll be sure to walk out of here and rejoin them, while you stay down here until you die." The former monarch frowns.

"Why?" Jevil metronomes his finger.

"Ironically as it may seem, I'm the sane one right now. Getting thrashed by the lighteners helped me regain the sanity ten years of solitary confinement drained, and now knowing that you want to murder three innocent children simply for being born differently, you're no better than me." Spade frowns deeper.

"What's that supposed to mean? You wanted me dead, ergo you wanted the whole kingdom diminished." Jevil shakes his head.

"No, I didn't." He remarks. "I only wanted you dead in response to the people you've killed. But despite the three lighteners having the heart to keep me away from you, you still want them dead." Spade sighs and turns away.

"You don't understand. I was betrayed at a young age!" Jevil frowns.

"But you don't understand what ten years of prison feels like." Spade glares.

"I already told you it wasn't me! It was Seam!" Jevil sighs deeply and gives him an adamant look.

"Sir, if you promise me you will not hurt these innocent people after my week is up, then I'll tell the kingdom that you've learned your lesson and should move on with your life." He closes his eyes and folds his arms. "Do we have a deal?" The spade man grins and holds an arm behind his back.

"It's a deal!" Jevil opens his eyes and smiles.

"Good! Then our redemption begins now!" He sits on the floor and retracts a deck of playing cards. "Wanna play Blackjack?" Spade smiles and sits in front of him.

"I thought you'd never ask!" Jevil begins dealing cards as he smirks darkly. "I can't wait to dominate you!" Jevil looks up.

"Pardon?" The jester asks as the former king chuckles.

"In Poker!" He says with a daring grin. Jevil mirrors his expression.

"Good luck, I've never lost before." He dares as they begin.

* * *

At eight thirty, the three lighteners sat down at the dinner table and the chef brought in their food.

"Oui, Oui! This is quite the meal if I say so myself!" The chef chants. Ralsei faces him.

"Thank you so much, sir!" He says gratefully as the chef places the dishes in front of them.

"No problem." He lifts the top off of Ralsei's dish and reveals two large corn cobs. "Fresh corn on the cob for the dark prince!" Ralsei's mouth begins watering.

"Yummy!" He exclaims cheerfully as the chef withdraws Kris's dish, revealing a large slice of lasagna.

"Gourmet lasagna for the young gentleman!" Kris faces the man.

"Thank you." He humbly says as the chef moves over to Susie's dish.

"You're welcome son, and for the young lass." He withdraws the dish and Susie gasps at the meat once revealed. "Fresh, star walker!" The purple dragon raises an eyebrow and faces him.

"Sir, why'd you bring me a bird?" She asks with slight irritation. "I don't like birds." The chef withdraws a fork and hands it to her.

"Nonsense. This feast happens to be one of the most nutritious feasts you'll ever obtain. Try it." Susie takes the fork and stabs a piece.

"Fine." She puts the bite into her mouth and chews for a couple seconds. Then she swallows as Kris and Ralsei both stare with tense looks.

"Well, how is it?" Ralsei asks. Susie glooms and glances back at the food.

"It's, so delicious." She admits. The chef smiles.

"Well then, Bon Appetit." He turns toward the door.

"Wait!" Kris calls as the man stops. "Where's Lancer?" Susie flinches for a second as the man turns around reassuringly.

"The young boy has gone to find our king. It's something about his crown." He turns back around. "Please enjoy!" He exits the room as Kris and Ralsei begin eating.

"Man! This is delicious!" Ralsei cheerfully says as he chews through his first ear of corn. "I haven't had corn in ages!" Kris chuckles as he swallows a bite of lasagna.

"Well pal, when we're done with our adventure, you're going to live with me. And I'll get you all the corn you could ever want." The cyan boy promises as Susie glances at them.

"Aw, really Kris?" The shaded goat asks as the human nods.

"Of course, Ralsei. We'll live with my mom for four years, and then become roommates in college." He pauses as they share a passionate look in each other's eyes. "And then, when we've both got jobs, we'll get married, and raise young homeless monsters in an orphanage." Ralsei squeals subtly.

"Aw! You want to raise a family?" Kris nods.

"Yes, I would." He wraps his arm around Ralsei's back. "And it all begins and ends with the two of us." He kisses Ralsei on the cheek causing him to blush brightly.

"Really?" Susie asks in a low tone voice. Both boys face her. "You two have really already looked that far into the future?" Kris's enthusiasm fades.

"Well, yeah." Kris begins. "I've been thinking about the future I want, and I can't imagine spending it without Ralsei." The reptilian teen sighs.

"What about me?" She asks. "What future am I looking at?" Ralsei gives her a cute look.

"You can join our orphanage." She shakes her head.

"I don't like the idea. I'm too scary for small children." She shamefully states. Kris gives her a reassuring look.

"You're gonna go home, and keep your eyes peeled for another person you'll learn to love, and through that, you'll forget about your current sadness, and live a happy life with someone special." Susie sighs deeply.

"I don't think that's how it's going to work." She sadly says. "I've tried finding potential love for all the people I used to crush on back home." Kris raises an eyebrow in confusion.

"You had a crush on certain people back home?" The purple dragon nods.

"Yeah, but thinking about those same people now, is only hurting me more." She lifts her head up and reveals her sadness in her eyes. "It's like my heart is telling me it only wants Lancer now." Ralsei sighs.

"Did you have a crush on Lancer when you first met him?" Susie shakes her head.

"No, but last night around this time, it's like a searing pain just hit me in the chest." Both boys flinch.

"What?!" Ralsei exclaims. Susie proceeds.

"Yeah, but the real pain didn't kick in until I told Lancer how I felt this morning." She glances down at her plate. "He turned me down." Ralsei and Kris glare and turn around.

"This is all Jevil's fault!" Ralsei exclaims.

"If he hadn't shot you two with arrows, this wouldn't have happened!" Kris says with fury. Both boys are startled as Susie loudly slams her fist on the table.

"AH!" They both shriek as Susie leans forward with tears in her eyes.

"Why the hell do you two care?!" She yells loudly. "Jevil made both of you boys happier!" Ralsei glares again.

"But look at what he did to you!" He exclaims while pointing at her. "You're the victim here! Lancer not wanting you is not his fault!" Susie calms down and stops leaning on the table.

"You're right Ralsei. It's not Lancer's fault." Ralsei sighs casually.

"Good, at least you know that." He remarks as Susie continues.

"It's mine." Ralsei's eyes shoot open.

"What?!" He asks in shock. Susie shrugs and glooms toward the floor.

"It's not Lancer's fault he doesn't love me, it's mine." She says shamefully as Kris waves his hand.

"But what if Jevil's arrows are the reason you feel this way?" He asks.

"Then it's all his fault this happened." Ralsei finishes as Kris nods.

"Yeah. It is." The human remarks. Susie shakes her head and her voice cracks.

"No, you boys don't understand." She says in a sad, but calm tone. "Jevil's not to blame for my feelings, I am." She states. Kris holds his arm out.

"How is that possible?! You couldn't control your own emotions!" He exclaims as the purple dragon sighs.

"No, I couldn't. But there's a reason Lancer doesn't love me that I could've overcome when I had the time." She pauses. "Who I am." Ralsei gasps.

"What?! Who you are is not a factor!" He exclaims. To his surprise, she looks up at him with tears in her eyes.

"Why are you yelling at me?" She asks as her tear production increases. Ralsei gasps and sits back down.

"Sorry, I'm not used to getting angry." He apologizes as she continues weeping. "Kris, help me out please." He requests as the cyan boy holds his arm out.

"Please Susie, don't say that about yourself." She shakes her head.

"No, it's true!" She exclaims in sadness. "Who I am is exactly why Lancer doesn't love me!" Kris's jaw lowers slightly as he fails to understand.

"Why do you think that?" He asks with concern. Susie simply opens her eyes and faces them.

"Because I'm not good enough for him!" Both boys flinch as she continues. "He's a rich prince living in a castle that has more luxury here than any of us will ever find! He's the one who has servants who do things for him while he's riding a flaming bike every morning and trying to please his father." She slams her fists on the table and continues crying. "I'm just an immature jerk from some high school who never once tried being polite or make a single friend!" Ralsei speaks up.

"But Susie, we're-"

"I know you're my friends!" She interrupts. "But the fact still stands! I've done nothing good my entire life! While other students were helping clean the town, I was effortlessly throwing my trash on the ground." Kris frowns as she proceeds. "While everyone else was having fun with one another at recess, I was taking enjoyment in scaring the younger kids until they wet themselves!" Ralsei frowns.

"Please tell me that part is false." He says as she shakes her head.

"No! It isn't!" Susie exclaims. "Every time a kid tried to be brave around me, I threatened to bite their face off!" Kris sighs.

"But aren't those days behind you?" Ralsei nods.

"Yeah, didn't we say we forgave you?" Susie's tears halt and her tone drops.

"You guys might've, but I've done so much damage to so many other people and never once felt the slightest bit sorry for being such a bitch to them." She looks up at them. "You guys are my friends, but like you guys, Lancer will never be anything more no matter how hard I pray he will." She stands up. "And it's all because I don't deserve anything better than the few friends I was fortunate enough to obtain. That's the reason Lancer doesn't love me." She pushes her chair in. "I'm going outside for awhile." She says as she starts walking away. Ralsei glances at her food.

"What about your food?" He asks. "I thought you were starving! And you loved it!" Susie glances at him once.

"I've lost my appetite." Kris feels a spike jab him in the heart. "Please, leave me alone." She requests as she exits the room. Ralsei sighs for a second.

"I feel so bad for her." He says. "How about you- Kris?" He turns to see his boyfriend awash in tears. "Why are you crying?" The cyan boy makes eye contact with him.

"You don't know the half of it." He human barks out as his voice shatters. "Susie has been through so much more than we both realize!" He exclaims as Ralsei hugs him.

"Kris, I've never seen you cry before!" The shaded goat exclaims as he squeezes his best friend. "Please don't cry." The young boy hugs Ralsei back tightly.

"Thanks for the hug, pal." He closes his eyes. "But I feel her pain." Ralsei sighs.

"If she's been alone for many years, I understand her feelings and I can relate." The dark prince says. Kris frowns and shakes his head.

"No. Susie has had to endure much worse." He faces him. "Her family does not love her." He states as Ralsei shakes his head in disbelief.

"I'm sure they do a little." Kris shakes his head adamantly.

"No, they don't." He says as they make eye contact. "Susie is part of a large family with almost no love whatsoever." He pauses. "They all fight over food, and since she's the youngest person, they don't care if she starves. They don't even feed her until after they're full." Ralsei gasps.

"How do you know all of this?" He asks. Kris sighs.

"My mother met her parents at a parent-teacher conference. And when she asked them why Susie never shows up on time, they told her they don't have the time or car space to fit everyone." He glooms and faces the floor. "Basically, they think she's a lost cause and they wish they never had her." Ralsei's eyes begin watering.

"Wow! Is all of this true?" Kris shrugs.

"I mean, I don't want to believe it myself." The cyan boy admits. "But considering she's ready to outright murder someone smaller than her all the time, I can't help but think she feels she has nothing to lose." He points his thumb at himself. "The only reason she didn't kill me when she had the time, was because she thought it'd be a shame if my mom had to bury me." Ralsei begins bawling even harder as Kris pulls him in.

"Why?!" He asks. "Why does anyone have to go through that?!" Kris sighs.

"I don't know pal. I really don't."

* * *

Lancer waits outside the door and stares at his items. He's holding K. Round's crown in one hand and Jevil's arrow in the other.

"Now is the time Lancer." He says to himself. "Now is the time."

* * *

 **Author's Note: Well, this chapter was originally going to have a different concept, but seeing how I needed some additional details thrown in, it went in a different direction. Sometimes writing can alter your thoughts as you go through. A** **s sad as this chapter is, it's non-canon though entirely possible. There are a few hints in the game that show the possibility of Susie being abused and starved, so I thought I'd make her a little more of a sympathetic character considering she's often good at hiding her feelings.**

 **Also, I assumed the Spade King had a little history of his own, and while he may be the darkest person met in chapter 1, I have a hunch there's someone out there even worse, so I needed to include him here too.**

 **Chapter 9 is next, and I assure you I'll do my best on this one. Until then, have a nice day!**


	9. Lancer's Resolution

Lancer's Resolution

 **Author's Note: Seeing the amount of fame this story has had within only one month, it really goes to show you how far the fans can elevate you. Not that it really surprises me, since Lancer x Susie is commonly neglected or frowned upon by the haters in the fandom. But to those of us who do love this couple, it seems like a responsibility to allow this ship to sail! And let me promise you one thing… if you love Lancer x Susie as much as I do, I promise this is the chapter you've been waiting for. So please enjoy!**

* * *

It was 9:00 P.M. at night and Susie is still standing on the balcony with her face in her arms. The moon isn't shining, and the stars aren't visible. Though the forest trees still gleam bright pink leaves, the reptilian teen proceeds to bury her eyes rather than stare into the background. She doesn't cry, but she's definitely close to it within each passing second.

"So this is how it ends." She mumbles to herself. "I have to be a hero in a world I'm not familiar with, nor comfortable living in, and I can't even hold my head up high in battle anymore." She sighs and then looks into the dark forest. "Why am I destined to save this world? I'm the hero this world doesn't deserve." She squints sadly. "This beautiful place deserves better than me." She leans her chin back onto the railing. "And so does he."

She pauses and listens to the sound of nature. The birds chirp quietly in the distance and the soothing pulsing wave of the pitch-black fountain echoes behind her. The sound of liquid darkness only reminds Susie of the blood she spilled on the way here. All the darkeners she thrashed, all the wounds she opened, and all the damages she couldn't undo, it all feels even more painful to think about.

"And to think, I could've been a better person to those monsters." Susie says to herself. "Maybe they would be here to comfort me and tell me they're alright." Her eyes begin soaking up. "But if it hadn't been for Ralsei and Kris, they never would've forgiven me for what I did." A single tear streams out of her left eye. "And that is person Lancer could've known me as, but I didn't show him when I had the chance." That single teardrop splashes onto the solid railing after that, and only moments later someone speaks up.

"Susie?" The voice asks. She recognizes the voice, though, it's a little deeper than she's used to. She sighs and responds.

"Hey, Lancer." She says without turning around. "What are you doing here?" The purple dragon pauses once she hears footsteps, heavy footsteps coming closer.

"I wanted to keep you company." The spade prince answers and steps behind her. "And I wanted to talk to you about something important." Susie glances at to the side and notices his shadow is awfully large, but she doesn't bother turning around.

"Thanks, but I really don't think it'll help me feel better." She remarks as he sighs.

"Susie, I know you're sad," The blackjack begins. "And I'm incredibly sorry on my part for what I said to you this morning." The reptilian teen sighs.

"Apology accepted." She says in a lighter tone as her tears stop. "But please, I don't want your company right now." The spade boy sighs.

"I really think you need it." He admits. She shakes her head and continues facing away.

"No Lancer, I don't." She stares back into the forest. "I'm over your statement already." She flinches once she feels his hand on her shoulder. How is that possible? He's not that tall.

"I know you're not over me just yet Susie, and I wanted to help return everything back to the way it was." He says as she nearly sheds a joyful tear. "It'll be better for both of us that way."

"How Lancer?" Susie asks. "I'm sick of trying to find new hope, I know you don't want to be more than my friend, and I'm okay with that." She exhales deeply and continues. "So please, don't make this more painful than it already is." Lancer shakes his head, though she doesn't face him.

"No Susie, I'm here to undo the curse that Jevil casted upon you." Susie's eyes flash open.

"Jevil did this to me?!" She nearly exclaims.

"Yes, he said it was a form of revenge on account of sparing my father." The spade boy responds. Susie drops her anger and buries her face back into her arms.

"Is that what that arrow was for?" She mumbles through her arms.

"It is." Lancer verbally responds.

"Well, what do you intend to do about it?" The dragon girl asks as she lifts her head up slightly. She pauses once he sets an arrow on the railing next to her.

"This is the solution to everything." He states as she rolls her eyes.

"How'd you get that?" She asks in an almost annoyed tone. Lancer chuckles quietly.

"I kicked Jevil's ass for it." He remarks. Susie scoffs.

"Yeah right." She says sarcastically. "That maniac almost killed me, Ralsei, and Kris the first time we faced him. How did you beat him all by yourself?" She asks.

"Well for starters, I have more health than all three of you combined." He states. "But the reason I fought beyond the grave to defeat him was for you." He says in a humble tone. Susie sighs.

"Lancer, I'm grateful you survived that." She remarks. "But when I told you to stay here this morning, this is what I was afraid of. I was scared that the three of us would be traveling in areas where everyone is as deadly as Jevil." She pauses. "And I didn't want you to get hurt." Lancer sighs.

"I understand, but the only reason I was able to beat Jevil is because I had the determination for it." He pats her on the shoulder. "You were the only thing that was on my mind at the time." Susie sighs.

"Please Lancer, I know you're trying to sound romantic, but…" She glances back at the arrow. "I know it's too late for a happy ending we end up together." Lancer picks up the arrow and holds it close to her face. She stares at it as he begins speaking.

"This arrow is scientifically modified to alter the way one of us thinks." He states. "Either one of us can receive a change of heart upon usage of this item." Susie sighs and finally turns around.

"Lancer, I-…" She's cut off mid-sentence by the image standing before her. Lancer is now four inches taller than her wearing a black cape and a shiny crown. When she looks into his barely visible eyes, she almost faints. "Lancer!" She exclaims as she begins blushing madly. "You look so handsome!" She exclaims as her cold-blooded body heats up from her warm tension. The humble prince smiles and steps closer.

"Well, thank you, honey." He remarks jokingly. She feels her heart violently thrashing against her chest the moment he's right in front of her. Her face is bright pink and she can hardly even concentrate on anything else.

"What are you doing?" She asks as he holds the arrow up.

"I'm ready to finally give you the chance you were looking for. The answer to all of our problems is in this arrow." He announces as she glooms lightly.

"Lancer, why are you doing this?" She asks. "You don't need to do this just to make me feel better." He shakes his head.

"No, I don't." He glances at the crown on his head. "And I'm going to need to return this crown to K. Round after this." He refocuses on her. "But if you don't want to feel the pain of loneliness anymore, allow me to plunge this arrow into your heart." She raises an eyebrow.

"And, that will cancel the effect?" Lancer nods.

"Bingo! Isn't that what you want?" He asks as she sighs.

"Lancer, though I'm not really happy this happened, love isn't something I want to just erase even if I'm devastated otherwise." She pushes his hand and the arrow toward him. "So, you should probably save that for someone else." Lancer chuckles.

"I thought you might say that, so I guess you'll have to do the honors." He shoves the arrow into her hand as she flinches.

"Wait, what?" She asks as he stands tall with his chest out.

"Go ahead." He insists. "Stick that arrow into my chest so we can have our happily ever after." Susie gasps.

"What?! Lancer!" She holds the arrow away from him. "I don't want to stab you!" She pleads. He smiles and shakes his head.

"Don't worry about it. I've already endured multiple ax strikes from you before as well as countless projectiles from Jevil." He gloats. "This won't hurt that bad." Susie raises an eyebrow.

"Are you sure about this?" She asks as he nods.

"Of course, give me all you've got!" He dares as he shuts his hidden eyes. "I'll close my eyes, and then when I open them, you'll look like the prettiest creature I've ever laid my invisible eyes on!" The purple dragon sighs for a second and holds the tip to his chest. But she doesn't pierce his skin right away.

*What are you doing now Susie?* She thinks. *Why is it so hard to stab him? Just a few days ago, you wanted to bury an ax into his face, why is this so difficult?!* Lancer opens his left eye.

"Susie, did you hear me? I said I'm ready." He closes his eye again. The reptilian teen holds the tip steadily in her palm.

*Why is Lancer so brave about this? Isn't he aware one bad move could easily leave him in the hospital?* She thinks as she focuses on her sense of touch. *Man, I can feel his heart pounding against the end, it's a heart that I desperately want,* She begins pressing harder, causing him to yelp under his breath. *Oh my god!*

"Lancer!" Susie exclaims in concern. "Was that too hard?!" The spade boy shakes his head.

"No, I'm alright." He reassures. "But can you please not go so slowly? Just do it fast, like an injection." Susie frowns.

"I hate doctors." She states. Lancer shrugs.

"Don't we all?" He closes his eyes and sticks out his chest. "Come on now, down and in, right away!" Susie holds the sharp arrow in front of her again, but this time, something stops her.

*Don't do it!* Her inner voice shouts. *Don't take away his ability to find love for himself.* Her hand shivers rapidly while the arrow unsteadily moves with it. After a few seconds, she retracts it entirely.

"No!" She exclaims as Lancer flinches in fear.

"Whoa! You startled me!" He exclaims before chortling. "That's honestly pretty funny!" He laughs for a few seconds as Susie nearly breaks down.

"Lancer!" She manages to get his attention and he stops. "I'm not doing this to you!" The blackjack sighs.

"Susie, you're only making this harder for both of us if you hesitate." He states as he reaches for the arrow, she holds it away from him. "Then let me jab myself." She shakes her head.

"No, Lancer! I can't let you do that!" She asserts somewhat aggressively. He sighs.

"Why not?" He asks. "You don't want me to love you?" The purple dragon sighs deeply and glances at the floor.

"It's not that." She looks up at his face. "I want it to be your choice." Lancer raises one of his shaded eyebrows.

"Really? Just this morning you weren't very happy with my choice." Susie sighs.

"Well, that's fine." She states as she turns back around toward the edge of the balcony. "But honestly, it's better if you turn me down willingly than accept me against your will." Lancer frowns and puts his hands on his hips.

"I didn't see that coming." He states. "Kris told me you said his choices don't matter." Susie flinches and her eyes widen. "Don't tell me mine matter either, considering you won't let me join you guys on your adventure." Susie sighs audibly with noticeable sadness in her tone.

"Please, just leave me alone." She requests as she quietly begins crying. Lancer steps forward.

"Susie, I've had it with the crying. Crying is not who you are." He demands. "You're the type of person who leaves others in tears just by getting near them." Susie glares and faces him.

"Do you think I didn't already know that?!" Lancer gasps and steps back, causing Susie to change expressions. "Sorry, that was overly dramatic." She says as she proceeds to release tears. Lancer sighs and steps forward.

"Susie, please…" He pauses for a second. "Don't be sad." She sniffles for a second.

"I'm trying not to, but nothing has ever gone right for me in my life." She sadly admits. Lancer frowns lightly.

"And why is that? For me, everything has gone my way." The dragon girl sighs.

"That's the whole point, Lancer." She says. "You get everything your way because you were born to be this fortunate, whereas I'm born in a home with no love, little food, no friends, nothing." She glances at him again. "I'm just not good enough for you." Lancer gasps.

"Why do you think that?" He asks as she shrugs.

"I don't know. Maybe my assault on all those innocent bystanders left me unable to redeem myself. But I've never done anything good for anyone, and to think I'd be a good girlfriend for you is completely laughable." Lancer glooms.

"Susie, I'm not laughing." She takes a deep breath. "But this morning you seemed like the sweetest person I'd ever met. It's like the old Susie didn't even exist." She shuts her eyes adamantly.

"That's called a resolution." She states. The spade boy makes a confused gesture.

"What does that mean?" He asks as she turns back around and faces the forest.

"It means, I gave my old self up. The new Susie doesn't want to be aggressive or thrash anyone." She exhales and proceeds. "The new Susie just wants to abandon her old life, seeing as how miserable she used to be." Lancer steps behind her and pats her on the shoulder.

"Well Susie, if there were anything I could do to heal your pain, I would do so." He begins. Susie's tears halt and she lifts her head off the rail.

"Really?" She asks.

"Of course, honey." He says as she giggles lightly.

"You still want to call me honey?" She asks with a beautiful smile on her face as she turns to him. Lancer smiles lightly as well.

"I mean, why not? Does it bother you?" She shakes her head. "Then who cares?" He asks. "If I could empower myself to hold to a resolution, I know what it would be." He states. Susie chuckles and puts her hands on her hips.

"And what would that be?" She asks, only to be overwhelmed with what he has to say.

"I would give up my entire kingdom, all of my servants, and my flaming bike to ensure your happiness." Susie gasps and holds a hand to her heart as he ignores her reaction and proceeds. "I would ditch my life as a prince to stand at your side, tell you you're pretty and remind you every day that I care about you no matter what others say to you." Susie can't believe her ears, he has just touched her on an emotional level she'd never reached.

"Lancer…" She mumbles nearly breathlessly. "Do you really mean that?" The blackjack nods.

"Of course I do, you're my friend." He says. "My very, very, special friend." Susie holds the arrow up in front of him. "Are you sure you don't want to use that?" He asks as she nods.

"Oh, I know what I'm doing with this thing." She states as Lancer nods.

"Great!" He buffs his chest up. "Go ahead!" He closes his eyes, and a couple seconds later, he reopens them to a snapping sound. "Huh?" He opens his eyes and gasps. "Susie! Why'd you break the arrow?" He asks in shock. The beautiful purple dragon girl smiles and glances at him, revealing her sparkling red eyes.

"Because I don't need it anymore." She says as she steps up to Lancer. "You've just revealed something both of us formerly didn't know you had." He blushes lightly once she's right in front of him.

"What? I did?" He asks as she nods cutely. "What did I reveal?" She swiftly wraps her arms around his head and pulls them a little closer together.

"You've just revealed something I never believed anyone had." She says in a proud tone with a genuinely happy look on her face. "You actually care about me." She says as another tear rolls down her cheek, this one is from joy. "Lancer, thank you very much!" She warmly hugs him tightly as he continues blushing, and uncontrollably smiling.

"Okay, okay Susie!" He says as she loosens her grip on him. "But, don't Kris and Ralsei care about you as well?" The reptilian teen rolls her eyes seductively.

"They are two very sweet people." She faces him again. "But they'd never give up everything they own for me. Lancer!" She puts her right hand to his heart. "It takes a true gentleman with a heavy heart to ever consider that for anyone!" The spade prince smiles handsomely.

"Really?" He asks as she nods.

"Why would anyone ever say no to such a selfless prince? You're seriously too pure for this world." She states as Lancer finally regains his charisma.

"Susie, I'm sorry." He sighs for a second. Her seductive smile fades into a casual one as he faces her. "I shouldn't have been so blind before." She raises an eyebrow curiously.

"What are you saying?" She asks. "Whoa!" He quickly wraps his large blue arms around her and pulls her closer.

"I was wrong about you." He whispers into her ear as she stares at his large shoulder. "You really are more to me than just a friend." She sheds another joyful tear.

"Are we best friends?" He shakes his head.

"We're beyond that." He states as he ends the hug. He then takes Susie's hand and kneels on the floor. "Susie." He says in a seductive voice. She giggles humorously.

"Yes, sweetie?" She responds in a flirtatious voice. The spade prince looks up and she can see his eyes through his facial shadow.

"Will you please be my beautiful princess and make me one happy prince?" He asks genuinely. She giggles cutely.

"Of course I will Lancer, it'd be a dream come true." She says as he stands back up straight.

"Thank you so much!" He grips the back of her neck. "And now, let's seal our love with a kiss." He leans forward and puckers up, only for her to put her finger to his lips.

"Hold on one second." She says as his smile vanishes.

"What is it?" He asks. "Is something wrong?" Susie metronomes her finger.

"I'm really feeling aroused by this big sexy prince Lancer." She says as she grabs the magical crown with her fingertips. "However, this isn't the Lancer I fell in love with." She states as she retracts the crown, causing him to shrink back down to his normal size.

"Awe." He says in a gloomy tone. "I was so much hotter in that crown." He says as she hugs him by the sides and lifts him up.

"I don't care if you're hot," Susie says. "I prefer it when you're cute." Lancer smiles cutely.

"And I prefer you when you're pretty." He glances to the side, and then back into her eyes. "But that's basically you all the time, even when you're sad." Susie blushes.

"Oh, Lancer!" Her eyes water a few joyful tears. The blackjack holds his hand to the sides of her eyes and the tears stream onto them rather than down her cheeks.

"Oh, Susie." He says as they both stare into each other's eyes. "I'm so happy to call you, my beautiful princess!" He wraps his hands around her neck. "And now, we shall seal our resolutions!" He pulls her lips to his own and powerfully kisses her. Susie hugs him tightly as she returns the same amount of pressure towards his mouth. She'd waited for a very long time for this day, and she's never felt this happy before.

* * *

From inside the castle, the cyan boy steps out.

"Hey Susie, you-" Kris flinches the moment he spots them. "No way!" He shouts as he faces the hall. "Ralsei! Get in here pal!" He exclaims loudly. Susie and Lancer stop for a second.

"I think we've got company," Susie mumbles as Lancer shrugs.

"Let's ignore them. This is our special moment." He squeezes her lightly. "We shouldn't let it get spoiled by anyone." Susie smiles and pulls their faces back together. Ralsei enters the room behind the balcony.

"What is it Kris, are you-" The shaded goat flinches once he sees where Kris is pointing. "What?!" His eyes light up. "YES!" He exclaims. "Susie! You did it!" He cheers. Kris chuckles and smiles handsomely.

"Way to go, Lancer, I knew you had it in you."

* * *

 **Author's Note: Well, that was sure a lot of fun to write! I've shipped Susie and Lancer since the moment Susie joined teams with him, and believe me! I've had it up to my roof on the number of people saying; 'Lancer's just a kid, stop shipping him with a teen!' Well to hell with their opinions. Small age differences can be overcome with strong chemistry, and if Susie giving Lancer a candy he's never eaten despite her own hunger doesn't count, then I don't know what does!**

 **And seriously, screw Treesicle and everyone in his comment section. The anti-shippers are the actual people ruining fanbases because they tell us we can't enjoy a little headcanon romance between two characters we adore. They call people like me toxic for wanting Susie and Lancer to get together, they call us homophobic for not shipping Susie with Noelle, even though Susie has no canon feelings in return whatsoever!**

 **I'd better stop before I lose my sanity. (Like Jevil) Anyways this chapter was my most heartfelt work thus far in my writing career, so if I did a good job, please feel free to review and tell me so. I'd like to know if I write truly beautiful romance stories, or if I should limit the romance to only a portion of the story in the future.**

 **Anyways, thanks so much for reading, and this story still has a little way to go before finished. Hope you all enjoyed and chapter ten is coming soon!**


	10. Jack of All Traitors

Jack of All Traitors

 **Author's Note: Well, this story is finally about to reach its climax, with both couples finally together, there are only a few more instances of action yet to come. Things may gradually change in the next few chapters, but the final result will be worthy, I promise.**

* * *

Meanwhile, in the dungeon, the King of Spades and the colorful Joker proceed to entertain themselves with card games, though only one of them is truly entertained.

"I can't believe it!" Spade exclaims. "There's no way you've won this many times without cheating!" The jester rolls his eyes with a taunting smirk on his face.

"Calm down man, it's not my fault you suck at Old Maid, Go Fish, Blackjack, Uno, Phase Ten, War, Exploding Kittens, Speed, Mao, and Trash." He remarks.

"You're trash!" The former king shouts as the joker shrugs and shakes his head.

"I've let you hold the deck of cards for the last ten hands, if I had any trump cards up my sleeve, I'd be out by now." The king frowns under his facial shadow.

"Alright, I didn't want to do this, but I challenge you to the one version of Poker I've won twenty-five separate championships over." Jevil squints. "Texas Holdem!"

"Who created the name of that? Someone named Texas?" The large spade shrugs.

"I don't know." He glares at the jester. "But this time, I assure you that you will lose!" He deals them both two cards and Jevil glances at his hand.

*The four and seven of clubs?* He proceeds to smirk through the misfortune. *This could be bad.* The Spade King flips over the first three cards, the Ace of diamonds, and the eight and five of clubs.

"Well, there's your start. Are you intimidated?" He asks as the joker adamantly shakes his head.

"Not at all." He says casually. *Yes, I kinda am.* He thinks as the king chuckles.

"You've got a pretty obvious poker face. You've got good cards, don't you?" Jevil shrugs.

"This is the way my face always looks. Now draw!" The king flips over the fourth card, the Ace of Spades.

"Ha! Two aces already?" He remarks as he stares at the jester. "Well, do you have two jokers to save you this time?"

"Maybe I do, maybe I don't," Jevil responds. "But what about that last card?" The king flips over the last one, the six of clubs.

"Ha! That's the last one?" He drops his two cards on the ground, both aces. "Boom! Four Aces!" He exclaims as he points at Jevil. "And that means I win because you can't get a royal flush without an ace!" Jevil smirks savagely.

"Oh contraire old man, I don't need aces to win this hand." He reveals his two cards. "Because I have the four and seven of clubs." The king gasps as Jevil points at the cards. "Four, five, six, seven, and eight! All Clubs!" He gets in the larger monster's face. "Straight Flush! I win!" He brags as the former monarch growls and slams his fist on the ground.

"Not possible! You couldn't possibly have won that game!" Jevil gives a coy, yet still egotistical smile.

"Perhaps we haven't met." He holds out his hand. "Hi, I'm Jevil, and I can do anything." The King chuckles.

"Ha, false! You couldn't escape prison on your own!" Jevil metronomes his finger.

"On the contrary, I managed to invert the entire world into my own cell. And when Kris tried withdrawing his key, I told him it was too late to go back, and then the door appeared anyway." The Spade King frowns.

"So that's it? The human kid found the key?" The joker nods.

"As it turns out, yes." He opens his eyes. "And they couldn't have done that without getting the key from Seam." The king turns aside.

"So, Seam really is your friend? Huh." He faces the jester again. "But he's still the one who imprisoned you." Jevil shakes his head.

"I still doubt that. My theory is you locked me up and are trying to frame my best friend." The large Spade frowns.

"No. I didn't. Seam had the key from beginning to end. All I did was weaken you." Jevil chuckles at that statement.

"Yeah, but if the lighteners could beat me, and you, who really knows who'd win nowadays?" He asks as the king points a thumb at himself.

"Hey, I got closer to killing them than you did." He asserts as the joker shakes his head.

"No, you didn't. Not fairly." He states. "You were closer to killing them after they chose to spare you. At least I almost killed them fairly." The king shrugs.

"So? I wasn't there when you guys fought. How can we tell if you did more damage or not?" He asks as Jevil transforms into the Devil's Knife.

"Because, I was there during your fight, and until the end when you played dirty, I was winning." The imprisoned monarch frowns.

"So you cheated." Jevil shapeshifts back.

"No, you cheated by striking them off guard." The king shakes his head.

"That's playing cheap, but still legal." He firmly points at the jester. "You allowed them to use you as a weapon! That's cheating!" He exclaims as Jevil frowns.

"That's using available advantages to increase your chances of winning. You can't call me the cheater when I didn't kill you after the battle ended." The king sighs and smiles lightly.

"Well, I guess we'll never know for sure who would've won if neither of us interfered with the fight." Jevil shrugs.

"I guess not." He comments before frowning lightly. "But still, these lighteners were being kind people, so why'd you do what you did?" Spade sighs.

"I thought I already told you. I refuse to trust a lightener because I know they'll abandon me later." Jevil smirks lightly.

"Ha, and you tried to teach your son the exact same lesson?" The older man frowns and sits down.

"Exactly! Those cursed lighteners may act as Lancer's friends, but they'll betray him the minute he drops his guard." Jevil shrugs.

"Like you did with everyone." The king glares and gets up. "Hey, don't give me that look," Jevil says and proceeds. "Lancer spent an entire day with those children, and they had plenty of opportunities to backstab him that they never used!" The king sighs.

"Is that so?" Jevil nods.

"Yeah, and though they may not get together, the large purple dragon fell deeply in love with your son on account of something I did." The large spade gasps.

"What?!" He exclaims as he grabs the joker by his shoulders. "You did what?!" Jevil frowns.

"Can we at least be mature about this?" He asks.

"Fine." The masculine spade releases him. "But you actually used a love spell on my son?" Jevil shakes his head.

"No, as it turns out, he's good at dodging." He reveals the miraculous heartthrob. "This card is the weapon I used on Susie to make her fall in love with Lancer." The king facepalms.

"My son cannot be allowed to marry a lightener! At any cost!" He exclaims as Jevil shrugs.

"Keep in mind it was only a one-sided crush. Lancer is only thirteen right now, so likeliness states marriage won't be an option for a few years." The Spade King growls lightly.

"This cannot be. Lancer will propose right away! He's going through puberty this year, and he'll definitely propose like a true prince if he finds a girl!" He expresses his anger as Jevil shrugs and shakes his head.

"Then maybe you should learn to accept your son's wishes." He remarks. "You do realize at one point or another, Lancer needs to learn to make his own decisions." Spade slams the ground.

"I'm his father! Not you! I decide when he's allowed to do that! You don't!" He shouts with fury as Jevil smirks and points at the bars.

"About that, until you get out of prison, you have no power." The former monarch frowns in disappointment.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jevil sighs and pulls out his playing cards.

"Let me make this clear." He picks up the Jack and King of Spades. "Let's say you're the king and Lancer is the jack." He states as he sets them down and picks up the three opposite aces. "The three lighteners are the aces. Kris is the diamond, Susie is the heart, and Ralsei is the club." The king facepalms.

"Why are we bringing lighteners into this? And why are they aces?" He asks as Jevil frowns sternly.

"Please don't interrupt!" He shouts as the king sighs. "Now, these lighteners are labeled for a specific reason. Kris is the man of prosperity, so he carries the strength of a diamond sword. Ralsei is the prince who attempts to forge a majority, making him the club."

"Okay I get it, but why is the dragon girl the heart?" The king asks as Jevil chuckles.

"She's destined to be the princess of this castle." The king's forehead rages. "The reason they are aces is because their power exceeds yours."

"Okay, timeout!" Spade exclaims as he picks up the joker card. "What about you?! Where do you come in?" He asks as Jevil rolls his eyes.

"I'm not part of this ideal family, so my part is invalid." Spade chucks the joker card on the floor.

"But why do you get to be above the lighteners while I don't?" Jevil metronomes his finger.

"It's like Poker. If someone has three aces, they beat any ideal joker. Had I fought any of them one on one, I would've won." The king picks up the jack of spades.

"Then how does Lancer beat you? This makes no sense!" He exclaims as Jevil rolls his eyes.

"Well, in some certain games, such as euchre, the jack is the more powerful trump card. Hence the term; Jacks or better." He picks up the entire deck. "And speaking of more powerful," He drops the card stack all over the lone king card on the floor. "Once you managed to invert the ace's values from high to low, the jack called in all the other cards to overpower you, and then win all the chips on the table." The king facepalms.

"This is too complicated for my liking. Just tell me where I stand now!" He demands as Jevil sets the king of spades next to the aces.

"Now, Lancer is the king." He stacks the deck back up and puts the king of spades on top face up. "He's the one in control." He grabs the jack of spades. "Meanwhile, you're the jack." He sets the jack face down in the discard pile. "The jack of all trades with no value whatsoever." The king frowns.

"And? This isn't Trash we're talking about." Jevil shrugs.

"Well, in Trash, kings and jokers are valuable whereas the jacks and queens are not." He picks the deck back up and shuffles it. "You see? You're the man who had the power to do anything, but you lacked the competence to do so. Hence, you're the jack of all trades." Spade shakes his head.

"I disagree. Lancer is the jack of all trades. He can't do anything right." Jevil sighs.

"Actually, you and I are both jacks of all trades. Neither of us do anything right by anyone else's standard. You disagree with the way Lancer treats the lighteners despite the other darkeners disagreeing." The former monarch rolls his eyes.

"I'm the king. No one else's opinion is supposed to be relevant." He states as Jevil proceeds.

"Meanwhile, I'm in here because my grudge against you went against everything everyone else agreed with." He descends to the floor. "So we're both jacks of all trades. We both had the power to do anything, but we didn't do anything right." The king facepalms.

"I did nothing wrong to any of my servants. I simply asked them to kill the lighteners, that's it." He states.

"About that," Jevil responds. "You and I both treated these people very poorly and never paid attention to their purpose." The king sits against the wall.

"Apparently there's no point of this conversation because you don't understand what I'm trying to say." Jevil sits against the wall across from him.

"Then what are you trying to say? Please clarify." The king raises his head to the point the jester can see he well-shaded eyes.

"They. Are. Scum." He says with a pause between each word. Jevil shakes his head.

"Actually, they aren't." The king glares as the jester proceeds. "Your opinion on lighteners isn't valid to the rest of our community, and that's exactly why you're here in this jail cell." The king's anger rises as Jevil continues. "You're a selfish maniac who wants all members of a certain group to be executed for your own powers to prosper. If you were really a good father, you'd allow Lancer to choose his bride no matter who they may be or where they came from. But now that that opportunity has passed, this is the result."

"I don't understand." Spade remarks in a tired voice. "How come I'm somehow the bad guy if I'm the one who lost my entire family to lighteners, and my only belief is avenging them requires a genocide to them all?" Jevil sighs and gives an ashamed look.

"Any villain can still be a victim. But considering you killed every single lightener I cared about, as well as any darkener who befriended them, you're no less guilty than they were." He says before yawning. "Well, it's getting pretty late and I'm ready for a nice rest." He states as the king sighs.

"Yeah, I can agree. I just hope in the end we're not enemies anymore." He comments as Jevil shrugs lightly.

"I think we're a little too far off to be friends, but I'm willing to forgive you as long as you promise you'll put those days behind you." The joker comments genuinely. "Is that okay?" The large spade smiles.

"Yeah, I think I'd enjoy that." He says as Jevil lies down on his hat.

"That's fantastic, now I'm ready for some shuteye, so please don't disturb me."

"You have my word," Spade responds.

"Goodnight," Jevil says before he shuts his eyes and begins dreaming. The king gives a dark grin.

"Goodnight indeed." He says. He waits there for about five minutes and then tiptoes forward and reaches into the jester's pockets.

*Come on, where are those- hm!* He pulls the deck of wildcards out of Jevil's pocket. *Now **I** can do anything!* He thinks to himself as he looks through the cards. *What do we have here? Some cards that rig the standard rules? Oh yeah.* He thinks as he goes over the cards in his head.

* * *

Meanwhile, on the top floor, the four loving heroes come to the two bedrooms.

"And to the left, the master bedroom." Lancer presents. "It's the softest mattress and has the warmest blanket in the entire castle." Kris and Ralsei smile.

"And you want us to have that one?" Kris asks. "Are you sure you two wouldn't rather take it?" He asks as Susie humbly shakes her head.

"No thanks, we'll sleep in Lancer's room." She responds as Ralsei blushes lightly.

"Well, thank you. That's very generous of you two." He comments as Lancer shrugs.

"What can I say? You guys did sleep on a rock last night. It was pretty rude of me to not invite you inside." He states as Ralsei shrugs.

"We didn't think Kris and Susie would still be here. That's why." He answers as Susie smiles lightly.

"Well, I'm much happier here than my bed back at home. It's nice to finally have a boyfriend who treats me well." She states. "Well, goodnight."

"Goodnight." They all say. Kris and Ralsei enter the master bedroom and flip the lights on.

"Whoa!" Kris comments as he glances around the beautiful room. "It's so beautiful!" He says loudly before looking back into his boyfriend's eyes with a seductive look. "Almost as beautiful as your eyes." Ralsei blushes lightly.

"Awe Kris. You're too polite." He says as the cyan boy removes his chest armor.

"Thanks, I've been getting much better at politeness thanks to you." He comments as Ralsei stares at his perfect six pack.

"You've got a great chest. You know that?" Ralsei compliments as he removes his hat.

"And you've got a nice pair of horns," Kris responds. "Reminds me of when I asked my mom when I'd grow mine in." Ralsei chuckles.

"You wore a devil's hat?" The handsome boy nods.

"Indeed. My mom got me a pair to please my wishes." He says as Ralsei removes his cape, glasses, and hat. Both boys lie in bed with nothing put their pants. They both stare into each other's eyes for a few seconds before Ralsei speaks up.

"I can't get over how adorable you are Kris." He says with flushed cheeks. "I'm so glad you accepted me this morning." The cyan both puts his left arm on the goat's shoulder.

"I'm the lucky one Ralsei." He remarks. "And you're the adorable one." Ralsei chuckles lightly.

"I'm so blessed to have you." He comments cutely. "I thought of you as an older brother when we first met, but now you're nothing less than a soulmate to me." Kris smiles and scoots forward.

"Come closer." He says as Ralsei lightly scoots closer to him, feeling his body heat up from the increasing tension. "I want to make this night a very comfortable night for you." The meek goat blushes deeper.

"I could be sleeping on a picket fence and your presence would comfort me." He blissfully responds. The cyan boy wraps his arms around him and pulls them together, causing Ralsei to blush like mad.

"You have no clue how much I adore you, pal," Kris says in a soothing passionate voice. "Every time you blush, all I see is more affection." He says as he strokes Ralsei's fluffy shoulders. "And every word that comes out of your mouth sounds like music to my ears." Ralsei hugs him back and enjoys the feeling of their warm bodies colliding.

"Awe Kris." He mumbles. "I love you so much." He passionately says as Kris brings their faces closer together.

"Then I promise you I will return the same amount of infinite love to you. As you are a treasure I hold near and dear to my heart." He says. He then pulls Ralsei's lips into his own. The moment they begin kissing, Ralsei's blush fades. He's no longer shy around Kris anymore. After the kiss ends, they stare into each other's eyes.

"You're such a good kisser Kris." The shy creature states. Kris shrugs.

"I learned the only real difference between a good kisser and a bad one is their confidence." He states. "If you're brave and willing to give it your all, everything else takes over from there." Ralsei gives a determined grin.

"Alright, let me try it now." He says as he grabs Kris's head and pulls them in again. Kris closes his eyes as Ralsei's tender lips suction his gums and tongue brushes the outline of his teeth. A few seconds later Ralsei lets go of him. "Was that better?" He asks cutely as Kris nods.

"Significantly." He answers. "Do you feel confident around me now?" The fluffy creature nods.

"Of course. I love you." He states as Kris snuggles up to him.

"I love you too. Now let's go to sleep and let our dreams take over the magic." He states as Ralsei nods.

"Goodnight Kris." He says as the cyan boy smooches his forehead.

"Goodnight Ralsei." They both close their eyes and drift off into harmony.

* * *

Shortly after, the Spade King finally gets the card he was looking for. He had discarded the 'join the club' on account of it being boring and stares questioningly at a key card.

"The wimp key?" He reads quietly with confusion. "Jevil made this?" He proceeds to read the label.

*Ha, ha, ha! This key will render the rest of this weak world unquestionably grateful, as I open the lock of- wait! There's no door?! Phooey!* Spade chuckles upon reading that.

"That's right Jevil." He whispers inaudibly so the sleeping jester can't hear him. "When we locked you in, we made sure there was no door." He holds the card forward and places it in front of the lock between the cell bars. "Let's see if this baby works." The card glows for a few seconds and a metal sound emits. The king twists the knob on the outside and the prison door opens.

*YES!* He exclaims in his head as he pushes the door forward. *I'm free!* He glances back at Jevil before withdrawing another card.

"And what do we have here?" He mumbles quietly and reads the label. "The immortality dispel?"

*I'm growing older and older and the secret to my youth is fun, but if I don't have fun soon, I'll grow very old and lose my will and memory to find fun again. And so, I've made a card that can remove my immortality, then I'll soon die of starvation with no one to love me or cry at my side. It's a truly pitiful ending, but if I'm not soon reunited by someone, I will play this card and welcome my downfall.* Spade sighs briefly before turning around.

"You shouldn't have kept this card you imbecile." He evilly says as he casts the holy beam out of the card. Jevil's skin begins turning paler than before and his eyes tense as if he were discomforted. He manages to stay asleep, albeit, looking very disturbed. "And you enjoy your night while I go make my mark on those traitors." He says as he dangles the prison cell door.

*I really hope you don't come after me, or you'll go down like your parents.* He glances to the side with an evil grin. *And later, the lighteners you befriended.* He steps out while leaving the door open.

* * *

In the meantime, Lancer and Susie are in bed together on different ends, but holding hands.

"So tell me another one," Susie says. Lancer taps his chin.

"Hm... I once at a worm straight out of a starwalker bird's mouth." The spade boy responds. Susie begins laughing.

"There's no way you actually did that!" She refuses as he shrugs.

"My lesser dad made worms part of my diet." He states as she calms down. "Now how about you tell me a secret you're not used to sharing." He asks. The purple dragon sighs and thinks for a few seconds.

"Well, I don't know if I have any more that I'm comfortable sharing." She states as Lancer scoots closer.

"Come on Susie. You can trust me." He insists as she faces him with a light gloom.

"Alright… I've never spent the night in a place this beautiful before." She comments as Lancer chuckles.

"Is that something to be ashamed of?" He asks as she continues.

"Nor have I ever eaten something as delicious as that starwalker bird earlier." Lancer shakes his head.

"Why is that? I thought your collective dad must've been cool." He responds as she shuts her eyes for a few seconds.

"I hate my dad," Susie mumbles under her breath. Lancer sighs.

"Is it because he abuses you?" He asks as she faces him.

"He just doesn't love me." She says lightly as Lancer strokes her plum hair.

"I'm sure he does deep inside." She sighs again and proceeds.

"He loves my three older brothers." She comments. "But he doesn't love me." Lancer raises an eyebrow.

"And why is that?" He asks as she faces him.

"Because I'm a girl." She mumbles as Lancer glooms.

"He wanted another son?" He asks as she nods.

"Yeah. He'd always make sure my brothers got their food before me. And whenever I tried fighting back, he'd slap me." She says in a quiet tone. Lancer frowns.

"Well, he shouldn't care if you stay in this dimension with me now should he?" He says as he strokes her strong arm. "I'll take care of you." She faces him and smiles.

"I know you will. And I promise to do my part to make our relationship work." She says as he climbs on top of her.

"That's my Susie." He says proudly as he stares into her eyes. She manages to see his eyes as well through his facial shadow. "Did I ever tell you you're pretty?" Lancer asks as Susie chuckles.

"You've said that about five times in the past hour." She jokes. "When are you going to understand I got the message?"

"When the mailman in my head decides to stop delivering it." She chuckles humorously as he leans forward and lays on her chest. "Aren't you so glad we're finally together?" He asks as she blushes lightly.

"I couldn't dream of a more pleasant time." She responds. "You've made me so happy!" Lancer leans forward and caresses her left cheek.

"It was all my pleasure to treat my pretty princess perfectly." He states as she hugs him warmly. "No amount of dark dollars could buy the amount of joy I feel when I'm around you." Susie sheds a single tear.

"Lancer, you're so good at being romantic. Are you sure you've never had a girlfriend before?" She asks as the blackjack shakes his head.

"No, I haven't." He stares back into her eyes. "But I'll admit, they probably would've been much inferior anyways." She blushes lightly.

"You really couldn't ask for a better girlfriend?" She asks as he shakes his head.

"How could I? You're very beautiful, wise, strong, sensitive, and I feel safer around you than I ever did with my dad." He passionately says. "To think we could've just been friends just seems like a future where neither of us became happy." He romantically places his hand on her shoulder. "But as long as you need me by your side, I'll be there to ensure your eternal happiness." Susie giggles.

"This sounds like a wedding vow." She comments as he brings his face closer to her, causing her to blush deeper.

"And would the pretty purple lady like a ring with that statement?" He jokes as they both chuckle. Susie's daring grin comes back.

"We'll worry about that more when we're a little older. But for now." She firmly grasps the sides of his head. "Let's make out!" Lancer mirrors her expression.

"Alright princess, your wishes my command!" He excitedly responds as she pulls their lips together. Lancer closes his eyes and lets his tongue absorb all the feeling in his body. He moans quietly as he feels Susie's large tongue tickle him inside his mouth. And concentrates on the feeling of his own tongue as it brushes against the sharp tips of her sharp teeth, teeth he greatly envied for himself.

Susie mind is in a different world. She's in a very comforting spot where all the pain she had is gone, and the only thing she can feel is the eternal happiness being generated by the tension the two of them share. This slightly younger, formerly immature boy's strong will, great bravery, and comforting aura is the only thing she can feel. Looking at Lancer in a whole new way has allowed her to drop the discomfort she'd held leading up to this day. After waking up a whole different person, she's ready to go back to sleep with the boy of her dreams. She finally ends their large kiss.

"Whoa," Lancer says quietly as Susie flashes her beautiful red eyes at him.

"Was that enjoyable?" She asks as he nods.

"Most certainly." He states as he wraps his arms around her neck. "I love you." He whispers in a soothing voice.

"And I love you too Lancer." She says as she pulls the covers over their bodies. "And I hope you enjoy your sleep." She says as he gives her a kiss on her right cheek.

"I will Susie. Just as long as you're with me when I wake up." He grabs her hand and squeezes it lightly. "Goodnight my beautiful princess." He says cutely. Susie smooches his forehead.

"Goodnight sweet prince." A few moments later, the blackjack is already into his slumber. The reptilian teen pulls him slightly closer and rests her hand on his heart. A heart she was finally able to earn.

* * *

A few minutes later the Spade King is outside and he pauses in shock as he sees all his servants lying down next to an eight-foot-deep hole over fifteen feet in diameter.

"Excuse me!" He says loudly, getting everyone's attention. They all gasp at the sight of their former rulers standing there. "What are you idiots doing?!" He asks with anger. Roulx Kaard leans on his shovel to support his exhausted body.

"We were forced to dig a deep hole." He states. "We're not allowed to stop until Jevil says so." The large spade stomps.

"And since when is Jevil your leader?" He asks as the servants glance at each other. One of the Rudinns holds up his shovel.

"Well Mr. Sir, we lost our weapons and they were replaced with shovels." He glances at his faces under fear. "Until Jevil is satisfied, we can't use our powers." The king sighs and withdraws a card.

"Here!" He reveals the silencer. "This is the counter to the Spade Slave!" He exclaims powerfully as the holy beam emits out of it. A second later, all the Rudinns get their diamond swords and Hathys get their heart staffs back in place of their shovels. "Is that better?" He asks as they all gasp and smile lightly.

"Yes." The Rudinn responds. "Thank you." Roulx still has his mystical shovel, despite the counter being played. He steps up to his former king.

"Sir, I beg your pardon, but what are you doing outside of your cell?" The king snarls and grabs the duke by the neck. "AH!" He exclaims as the servants gasp.

"Is that any way to speak to your king?!" He exclaims as one of the Hathys slithers forward and lowers her staff.

"Put, him, down." She mumbles in a gibberish voice. The royal duke shivers in fear until the king lightens his grip on him.

"Please, sir," Roulx says. "I'm not trying to defy you, but how'd you get out?" The king flashes the wimp key out.

"I stole Jevil's entire deck of cards!" Everyone gasps and look at him nervously. "Now, you guys have two options. You can all accept my freedom and live on with your lives, or you can defy me and my wishes to destroy the lighteners. And I will thrash every last one of you!" All the servants glance around at each other with terrified looks on their faces.

"Please, sir." Roulx states. "We're grateful for being lifted from Jevil's evil curse." They all nod. "But…" A tear streams out of his left eye. "Please just let the lighteners go." The king stomps.

"How dare you?!" He exclaims in an intimidating voice, causing many of the Rudinns and Hathys to begin crying lightly, including the rangers and heads.

"They were nice to you." The royal duke says as he bravely glares at the larger man. "After everything you did to them, they still spared your life! How dare you still wish for their demise?!" He bravely stands his ground. The king stomps furiously.

"I told you! Don't get too attached! And you failed!" He slams his spade tail forward and strikes Roulx in the face.

"OUCH!" The servants gasp as the dark blue duke crashes on his back. His right cheek begins bleeding and he begins crying lightly. "Why sir? Why have you done this?" He asks as the king points at the crowd.

"Because I'm tired of being betrayed by your bleeding hearts! Anyone else have an opinion?" All the servants gasp and shake their heads. Roulx slowly gets back on his feet.

"Your Highness, I really-" The ruthless monarch slaps him again across his left cheek with his sharp tail. "OW!" He falls back on the ground again as all the servants stare with fear.

"Did I say you could get up?" He asks darkly before facing the crowd of guards. "You there!" He points at the few rangers in the front. "Take this traitor back to the prison right now!"

"Yes, sir!" Two of them exclaim fearfully as they grab Roulx by his arms and lift him up. Before they begin carrying him away he speaks up.

"Wait!" The rangers pause as he looks up at the king. "Is this how you want to treat the people who love you?" He asks. The king glares.

"Love is a very misleading word! You idiots betrayed me and threw me in the dungeon!" He exclaims as Roulx cries a few tears.

"No, after that, Jevil made many proposals to kill you!" He exclaims. "And we stood our ground to refute them! We even tried to put Jevil back in solitary confinement to keep you safe!" He shouts with a stable, yet breaking voice.

"And, now that I'm free, I want to kill the lighteners. Do any of you object?" He asks as all the guards face him.

"Yes!" One of the Rudinns exclaims as he throws his diamond sword on the ground. "I'm not going to fight the lighteners again! Not after the way they treated me." The king frowns.

"Are you scared of getting beaten up by them harder than you would by me?" He asks as the Rudinn shakes his head.

"No. They didn't even touch me! And I'm not going to provoke another duel against those innocent people!" He says as the king rolls his eyes.

"Anyone else?" He asks. The servants glance at each other for a few seconds, and then they all toss their staffs and swords on the ground in unison. The king raises an eyebrow. "Really? No one dare agrees with me?" Roulx drops his mystical shovel on the ground.

"No, sir. We're all too kind spirited to target people who granted us mercy." The large spade growls and faces Roulx.

"If I recall correctly, you never even faced them!" He exclaims with fury. Roulx sheds a couple of tears.

"No, but ever since they entered the castle, I monitored their every move. Not a single servant was harmed that night on account of the mercy they showed." He glares at him with tears still streaming. "And we promised we'd never start another fight with them." Spade glares and picks up the shovel.

"Is that so?" He holds the shovel in front of Roulx and the two rangers release him. "Then this battle is between you and me." He states before Roulx grabs the shovel.

"You want me to attack you?" He asks nervously. The ruthless monarch nods.

"Yes! You're the leader of this pathetic rebellion, so if you fall, they fall with you!" He grips his tail and prepares to swing it. "Now strike! The first move is yours!" He insists. Roulx glances at the crowd of saddened servants.

"No sir, I can't." He drops the shovel on the ground. "I promised Lancer no matter what happened, we wouldn't kill you." The former monarch grabs the shovel and holds it in front of him.

"Lancer's feelings are irrelevant. I'm the boss of this kingdom, and I demand you give it your all!" The dark blue duke looks up at his face with a sad, yet brave look in his eyes.

"No." He says firmly. The king shrugs lightly.

"Well, okay then." He abruptly slams the shovel against the side of Roulx's head, causing him to immediately black out. Every servant gasps as he glares at them. "You're all fired!" He roars as he summons a heavy barrage of spades that knocks every single guard down. A couple Rudinns desperately try to get back on their feet before he summons more. "Stay down! Or I will kill all of you!" He shouts in fury. The guards lie on the ground hopelessly as the disgruntled king picks the unconscious duke up off the ground and hands him to one of the two Rudinn Rangers. "Here. Take him to the dungeon." He insists.

"Are you sure?" The ranger asks before yelping at the sight of a few spades, poised his direction.

"Is there a problem with that?" The large spade asks as he shakes his head frantically.

"No, no, no! I can take him!" He exclaims as the king faces the other ranger.

"What should I do?" He asks as the monarch tosses him the shovel.

"Put him in the same cell as my nephew. And make sure this shovel is there as well." The ranger raises an eyebrow in confusion.

"Might I ask why?" The king gives a sociopathic grin.

"These two hate each other. As long as there are two prisoners and one shovel, whoever wakes up first is bound to kill the other." He states as he turns around.

"Where are you going?" The ranger asks. The king turns around for a brief moment.

"I'm going back to find Jevil's jailkeeper." He makes a fist. "He made one mistake I'm going to ensure he learns he made." The two Rudinn Rangers watch nervously as he walks away, then they proceed to do exactly as he commanded.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Boy was this one fun? I don't think I've ever written a chapter with romance, revenge, more romance, and more revenge before. So the beauty of it as a writer was the sequence I applied here. But the larger beauty is those of you who've followed, favorited, and or reviewed thus far. You people are the reason I do what I do, and I wanted to say thanks. And please have a nice day.**


	11. Range of Demotion

Range of Demotion

 **Author's Note: So, DelanaKiger made a great point in their review about character dialog, and I'd like to clarify those points.**

 **I don't use Rouxls Kaard's Shakespearian slang simply because it's too complicated for me. In the amount of time, I have to write, trying to add eth, est, and an e to the end of any word ending in m or n. That's not something I'm good at, so I went with the belief he only does it to sound cool or intimidating towards the lighteners, seeing as he does have his share of normal sentences in the game as well.**

 **And the reason Jevil doesn't repeat himself is another thing. I feel it would be hard to stick with the story if Jevil ever said the same word twice in a row, and personally see that as a mere symptom of his insanity he inherited from his time behind bars. I think after a little time of freedom, he'd return to speaking like a normal person.**

 **Anyways, proceed if you're ready, but please be warned, this chapter may be a little tear-jerking.**

* * *

Seam was doing his usual thing, tidying up his shop and preparing his famous dark burgers. He pauses for a second once a specific picture catches his eye. A photo of he and Jevil at a much younger age. He dusts the photo off and sighs lightly.

"It's been quite some time my friend." He says in a low tone voice. "If only I knew where you were, perhaps we could play one more game." He sets the photo down and coughs weakly. "Before the darkness of this world overpowers my weak will." His ears perk up at the sound of the door opening. "Who is it?" He turns around and flinches when he sees his customer.

"Oh, long time no see, old pal!" The larger blue man exclaims as he holds his tail out like a mace.

"Lord Spade! It's been quite some time." The senile cat comments with a frightened look in his right eye. He twitches softly as the enraged king steps forward. "What are you doing with your tail?" The king stops and holds out his hand.

"Seam, I'm going to ask you for one thing. The key." Seam raises his right eyebrow.

"What key?" He asks as the king swings his tail on the desk before him. "Whoa!" He flinches and steps back against the wall.

"Don't play dumb with me wolf mutt." He insults. "The key to Jevil's cell!" He points the tip of his tail forward as Seam's expression changes slowly.

"Oh, that key. Ha, ha, auc!" He chuckles and coughs. His right eyebrow lowers as he proceeds. "I don't have it." He mumbles lightly.

"WHAT?!" The forceful spade man swings his tail above Seam's head, knocking the items on his top shelf down. Seam gasps as his flasks and photos shatter on the floor.

"Hey! What was that for?!" He exclaims as the king grabs him by his collar.

"Where is the key?" He asks in a calmer, yet very intimidating tone. A sweat drop falls from the edge of his left brow and his blind eyelid twitches.

"I sort of… gave it to the lighteners." He remarks as the king slams him against the wall. "Ouch!" He says before coughing a couple times. The large spade man lifts him off the ground.

"I gave you one job you old bastard! I told you to make sure that key never came near the castle again!" He shouts in fury as the weak feline struggles painfully in his grip.

"I didn't give them the whole thing!" He chokes out as the king lightens his grip. "I only gave them one piece." The Spade King stomps.

"And where'd you put the rest of it?!" He demands as he lets his feet touch the ground, though, still grasping his throat. Seam coughs once.

"I broke it into three pieces and hid two of them in chests." He states. "I put one behind a spike trap I was certain no one outside of your castle would've known how to get through, and the other one in a hidden path behind some trees." Two spades spawn and are poised in his direction.

"And what did you do with the last one?" He asks in a gruff tone. Seam's right eye sheds a few tears.

"I gave it to the lighteners." He shamefully admits. The two spades slice him at his chest. "Ouch!" He winces as the merciless king leans his face closer to his.

"And why, did you let them have it?" He asks with fury under his breath. Seam gathers his courage and frowns at him.

"I missed Jevil, okay?" He states. "And I was hoping, that within the last year of my dying life, he'd finally be free! So, I gave them the third part of the key with the hope that they'd restore it, and let my lonely friend out of his cell!" The king slashes him again with a sharp spade, causing him to wince.

"You do know there are consequences to anyone who assists a lightener, right?!" Seam's right eyebrow twitches and he glares into the king's shaded eyes.

"I don't care." He says firmly as the Spade King slams his back against the wall again. Seam firmly grunts in an effort to avoid any verbal reaction.

"Well then!" He sends another sharp spade into his torso, causing him to spasm lightly. "Are there any last words?" He asks as he poises his tail. The senile feline raises an eyebrow slightly.

"Last words?" He asks curiously as the king spins his tail a couple times.

"Yeah, like, 'I'm sorry,' or 'it should've never happened'." He states. "You know? Something that would ease my frustration right now." Seam coughs twice and covers a savage look in his functioning eye.

"Okay, I've got one. Come closer." He insists. The king frowns lightly.

"Come on, spit it out, no one else can even hear you." The ruthless monarch remarks. The dying cat shakes his head lightly.

"It's a really important secret." He states as he flexes all his vocal muscles to halt his cough.

"Fine." The king says in an unamused tone and leans closer to the point their faces are less than three inches apart. "What is it?" He asks. The retired magician coughs once and a ball of dark paste flies out of his mouth and lands on the king's face. "Hey!" He steps back and wipes his face. "A hairball?! Gross!" He exclaims in annoyance. Seam chuckles twice.

"Tada!" He says in a quiet enthusiastic voice while the king glares deeply and holds his tail up.

"ALRIGHT! THAT'S IT!" He roars as the mysterious cat smirks lightly, showing no fear to his potential fate.

* * *

Within seconds of this, the crazed joker awakens in his cell.

"Whoa!" He exclaims fearfully as he wipes his eyes. "Wow, that was one scary dream." He says to himself while massaging his eyelids, he noticed his muscles feel a little sorer than he's used to. "I hope Seam's doing better than he was in that vision. Right, Uncle Spade?" He waits for a few seconds and repeats himself. "Uncle Spade?" He asks as he sets his hands to the side of his body. His peripheral vision is blurrier than he's used to.

*What is going on?* He thinks. *Why do I feel so much weaker than usual?* He levitates toward the sleeping blue person, only to find someone he didn't expect.

"Rouxls Kaard?!" He questions as he taps the duke's shoulder. "What are you doing here?" He cringes lightly at the cuts on his face. "And what happened to your face?" The duke continues laying motionless as the jester shoves his shoulder a few times. "Rouxls, wake up!" He pushes firmly, his shoulder muscles ache from the effort. Fortunately, the much younger royal duke opens his eyes.

"Oh. My poor head." He mumbles as he regains his vision. "Jevil… is that you?" He lightly lifts himself upward as the joker shrugs.

"Of course, it's me, what's the matter?" He asks. The royal duke stammers for a second.

"No offense, but you look… older." He shamefully says. The joker rolls his eyes.

"I feel older, but I'm probably just a little sick." He reaches into his pocket. "I should have a card to cure- huh?" He unfolds his shirt pocket and reveals it's empty. "Where are my cards?" He asks as Rouxls turns away.

"I'm so sorry, but King Spade has stolen your deck." Jevil gasps.

"WHAT?!" He screams loudly before clutching his Adam's apple. "Ow. Why does it hurt so much to yell?" Rouxls frowns with a concerned look.

"Jevil, you've got pale skin, weak eyelids, and a full beard!" Jevil flinches.

"I do?" He feels the edge of his chin, needless to say, he has two inches of thick hair all around the edges of his chin. "What happened to me?!" He exclaims in horror as he faces the duke.

"I think the king did something to affect your aging process." The joker facepalms.

"God, dammit! He dispelled my immortality!" He panics and grabs the shovel on the floor. "And this." He makes eye contact with him. "Where'd you get this?" He asks as Rouxls frowns lightly.

"You gave it to me. And our former king used it to strike my left eye." He says as Jevil glares.

"That bastard! I was right about him, wasn't I?!" Rouxls cries a few tears.

"Yes, you were." He sits down as tears stream out of his cut and battered eyes. "You were right and we were wrong." He winces as his tears slide around his cuts. Jevil points the shovel toward the door.

"Come on, let's go!" He chants with haste as he begins levitating toward the open cell door.

"Good luck." The saddened duke mumbles, catching the Joker's attention.

"Huh?" He levitates back and descends to the floor. "Rouxls, what's the matter?" He asks as the dark blue duke turns toward him.

"This is all my fault." He says shamefully. "I'm the reason he's running amuck while you're older and weaker than before. If the lighteners aren't warned, he'll kill them." Jevil frowns.

"Come on! You're absolutely right about that. We can't let him do that!" He exclaims as the duke sighs and rests his face in his knees.

"I'm sorry, but I can't help you." Jevil sighs.

"Why is that?" He asks.

"I promised Lancer I'd never hurt his father no matter what the consequence was. If I did anything, Lancer would be heartbroken." Jevil sighs and pats his shoulder.

"I understand, but won't he be even more heartbroken if anything happened to the three people he cares about?" He asks as Rouxls looks up at him with a saddened look.

"I'm sorry, but unlike you… I can't do anything." He states as the jester frowns.

"Don't give me that." He remarks in disappointment. "You've got to help me." Rouxls shakes his head.

"I can't. If I interfere, someone still dies either way. I can't hurt Lancer anymore." Jevil frowns.

"Sometimes, sacrifices must be made for the greater good." He puts his hand to his heart and bows his head. "Here, let me show you." The joker begins glowing brightly, causing the dark blue duke to raise his head.

"Huh?" A couple seconds later, he gasps as his blacked eye regains its bluish outline and his cheek scars have vanished completely. Jevil groans lightly as his beard expands and turns a slightly brighter shade of white.

"How do you feel?" The jester asks in a slightly deeper voice as Rouxls gasps and stands up.

"Better than ever." He grabs his shoulders and holds him up. "How'd you do that?" He asks with an amazed tone. Jevil smiles lightly.

"I consumed some of my life energy to rejuvenate your injuries." Rouxls sheds a tear.

"Thanks, but… why?" He asks. "Why would you do that for someone not worthy of such kindness?" Jevil shrugs.

"Sometimes, sacrifices just have to be made." He says as he turns around. "Now, can we please go help our friends before that mad man comes back for them?" Rouxls smiles joyfully and nods.

"Alright fellow nut. Let us make haste."

* * *

Meanwhile, up in the master bedroom, Kris awakens to the sound of an unpleasant voice.

"AH!" The cyan boy turns to his boyfriend as he lightly groans in pain.

"Ralsei, what happ- AH!" His sentence is cut short to the intense pain of a sharp object being buried into his chest. "Ow!" His eyes fill with tears as he glares and sees a lone shadow in the darkroom through his blurred vision. "Who's there?!" He demands. The person flips the light switch on, and both boys gasp.

"A Rudinn Ranger?!" Ralsei exclaims as the disgruntled ghost faces them and reveals a meat cleaver.

"What was that for?!" Kris asks as the creature rolls his eyes.

"Just take it like a man you wimp!" He says as he slithers out and slams the door behind him. Ralsei holds his hand to his heart to stop the bleeding.

"Kris! I need a dark candy, fast!" He exclaims. The cyan boy glooms as he grabs one out of the bag on the floor.

"I need it too, but there's only one left." He says as more tears flood his vision. Ralsei sighs sadly as his blood and tears begin soaking the sheets.

"Well Kris, it was nice knowing you." He says sadly. "I'll miss you." He says as he turns back to lie on his back.

"No, we're going to share it!" Kris demands as he pulls the candy in two halves. "Here!" He says as he shoves his half into his mouth. The meek goat grabs the other half and eats it.

"Thanks." He says as he stares at the cut on his boyfriend's chest. "But we're still bleeding." He says as Kris puts his armor back on, grunting from the pain.

"Come on, we can't let that ranger hurt Susie and Lancer." He says.

* * *

In the other room, Susie wakes up to the sight of someone holding something sharp, poised to hit Lancer.

"Oh my god!" She shouts quickly as she holds her arm out to block the blade. "Ow!" She exclaims as the knife strikes into the bone behind her wrist. The spade prince rolls over and wakes up.

"Susie, what's- whoa!" He dives in front of the blade as the Rudinn Ranger aims for Susie's chest. "YOW!" The blade pierces his right lung and he falls on his back. Susie immediately gets on her feet and flips the lights on.

"What the hell are you doing?!" She asks with intense anger. The ranger looks up and glares.

"The Spade King is finally back up!" Lancer gasps at this. "And he fired all his other guards, so if I kill you, I'll be rewarded handsomely!" The blackjack begins crying as he faces him.

"Please, I'll pay you whatever my dad would've paid if you leave us." He suddenly begins coughing as Susie steps forward.

"I won't let you get away with that!" She exclaims as the ranger throws the knife at her collarbone, cutting into it. "Ow!" She reacts as the ranger shakes his head.

"No lighteners will get away under any circumstance. Especially if they're affiliated with Jevil!" He shouts as Susie grabs the cleaver.

"Jevil? Why do you care about him?" The ranger glares and holds a fairly big gemstone in front of him.

"That bastard scammed me with a fake crystal! And now I've built debts I'll need to make up through targeted bounties!" He points at her. "And that starts with you!" Susie swings the cleaver forward as he dodges it.

"Well, you're going to get what you paid for right now!" She says. As she moves inward to strike, the Rudinn slams the heavy crystal against her skull. "OW!" The reptilian teen falls on the ground and aids her aching head.

"I think I've done enough damage here!" The heartless servant shouts as he slithers toward the door. "Good luck surviving those injuries." He says as he leaves. Susie slowly gets back on her feet and steps back to the bed.

"Lancer, are you okay?" She asks as the spade prince nods.

"I think so, but…" He reveals a wound on his chest. "I think I'm bleeding in a more critical spot than I should." Susie scoops him up in her arms and carries him with her.

"You just took a stab to the chest for me." She says in a thankful tone. "I owe you one in the future." Lancer chuckles through his tears.

"Anything for my princess." He says as Susie opens the door. Ralsei and Kris are standing out there as well.

"Are you guys okay?" Kris asks as Ralsei leans on him, barely holding his eyelids open. Susie nods.

"I just have a couple stab wounds and a slight skull fracture on account of being hit by a heavy gem. Lancer's the one I'm worried about." She says as Lancer cringes and shows them his wound.

"I'm really feeling this today." He says with heavier breath than normal. Kris gasps as Ralsei faints on the floor.

"RALSEI!" He exclaims as the goat loses consciousness. He immediately gets down and puts his hands over his heart. "Please hang in there buddy." He says prayerfully as tears stream from his face. Lancer begins crying as well.

"This is a little more pain than I'm used to." He says as Susie sets him down.

"I'll go get the chef. He might be our only hope." She runs down the hallway and enters the kitchen. Meanwhile, Kris sighs deeply as Ralsei's pulse becomes lighter.

"Please… don't die." He says losing hope each word, Lancer pats him on the shoulder.

"Don't feel bad pal, there's still hope." The blackjack says as the cyan boy leans forward, gripping his own chest.

"Ow…" He looks up at Lancer weakly choking on his own breathing. A couple seconds later, he passes out as well. Lancer gasps.

"No! Kris!" He turns to the hallway as he hears loud stomping. "K. Round!" The large checker turns toward him and dives into the room, doing a perfect split on the royal floor. Lancer frowns. "Those are nice moves, but now's not the time for-" The checker king summons a carton of almond milk. "Milk?" Lancer asks.

"Mm, hm." The mute king mumbles lightly as he bows, causing the milk to levitate closer to the blackjack.

"Thanks!" Lancer says as he grabs the carton and holds Ralsei's mouth open with his other hand. "Here, pal! Drink this!" He exclaims nervously as he pours the milk down Ralsei's throat. Seconds later, the shaded goat weakly opens his eyes. Lancer smiles lightly and withdraws the carton.

"Thanks, I needed that." He says with a smile. His expression changes as he sees his unconscious boyfriend. "Kris?!" Lancer flips the human on his back and holds his mouth open.

"Come on buddy, stay with me." He says as the almond milk is poured into the handsome boy's mouth. A couple seconds later, Kris opens his shining eyes.

"Oh, what happened?" He asks as Lancer gasps in excitement.

"Oh, you're okay!" He celebrates. "Yes!" He flips the carton toward his own mouth and chugs the rest of it. Ralsei looks back to the dancing checker.

"Thanks, K. Round. You're a lifesaver." He says as the king smiles, bows, and then moonwalks out of the room. "Well, Kris are you-" His sentence is cut short as the handsome boy wraps his arms around him and holds him close. "Kris?"

"Please don't say any more." He says quietly. "You have no clue how relieved I am that you're alive." Ralsei sighs.

"I'm happy to be alive at this moment." He remarks. "But what was that ranger's motive for stabbing us?" Lancer glares and crushes the empty carton in frustration.

"He's after a bounty my father set on us!" He exclaims. "And he dare touch my princess!" He steps toward his bike. "I'm going to tear him down!" As the blackjack attempts to drive, the bike tips over. "Whoa! What the hell?" Kris steps forward and holds his bike up.

"Lancer, the assassin deflated your frontal tire." He says as he points to the front tire. "He probably did it so you couldn't chase him." Ralsei steps forward.

"By the way, where is Susie?" He asks. "I could've sworn she was here before I passed out." The Royal chef enters the room with a panicked look on his face.

"Children! Come quick!" He exclaims. The three boys follow him.

* * *

They enter the kitchen and gasp at the sight of an unconscious dragon on the floor.

"Susie!" Lancer shouts as he kneels next to his injured girlfriend. He then looks up at the chef. "What happened to her?!" The timid man sheds a couple of tears.

"The poor lass stepped in asking me to prepare some food to restore injuries, and then," He pauses and his voice breaks. "She just passed out on the floor!" He says while sobbing. Ralsei kneels and looks at the abrasion on her head.

"She must've gotten a concussion from the crystal," Ralsei says in a worried tone. Kris makes a fist.

"That evil maniac has a lot of nerve doing this to us!" The cyan boy says with fury as he glances back at the chef. "And he stole your meat cleaver?" The chef nods.

"Oui, he's potentially the most dangerous creature within this building." Kris sighs.

"If only Jevil were here." He says. "Perhaps he could defeat this punk." Lancer frowns and faces him.

"I beat Jevil last night, are you really sure he'd be a more capable ally than me?" The spade boy asks as the handsome lad shakes his head.

"No, no. I just think he'd be a little more unpredictable at a time like this." Ralsei stands up and faces his friends.

"Guys, we need to do something about Susie's injury before that concussion bleeds out." He asserts as Lancer summons a couple spades.

"I'm not going anywhere until that creep gets back here! I've got a bone to pick with him!" A diamond spear flies at his face. "Whoa!" He slides to the floor and the diamond barely misses his facial shadow.

"I'm right here, traitor." The heartless ranger says as Kris poises himself for battle.

"How is Lancer a traitor?!" The cyan boy exclaims as he points his sword forward. "You're the one who tried to kill him." He states as the ranger rolls his eyes.

"Actually, I haven't. I tried stabbing the dinosaur girl and he happened to take the blow." He says as Lancer and Ralsei poise themselves to prepare for upcoming attacks.

"You are truly a despicable person!" The shaded goat shouts with powerful fury.

"To think you were once our head ranger shows us your lack of honor!" The spade prince says as he summons three spades. "And you owe me a new tire!" The ranger chuckles and pulls out the sharp cleaver.

"You want to run that by me again?" He asks as the chef gasps.

"Hey! That's my cutting utensil! Give it back!" He demands as the ranger holds the knife his direction and pretends to throw it, causing the spinning chef to flinch. "Aie!" The chef runs out of the room in fear as the ranger glances back at the three angered boys.

"Well losers, are you going to attack me, or not?" He asks as Lancer fires the spades firmly.

"YEA-AH!" The blackjack groans as his spades go forward, causing him to miss his attack. "Ow!" He groans lightly as Kris dashes forward.

"You will not receive any mercy for once!" He lunges forward and swings the sword, only for a searing pain to emit within his chest. "Arg!" He manages to land the blow on the ranger, though much weaker than he's used to. Ralsei gasps as the cyan boy grips his chest.

"What's happening to our strength?" He asks fearfully as the ranger smirks evilly.

"Isn't it obvious? I've stabbed your most vital organs within your bodies." He states as he points at Ralsei. "And now, any form of will you give your all will only strain your hearts and weaken you further!" Ralsei, Lancer, and Kris all flinch with fear. The human gathers his strength and stands up.

"No! You can't do this to us. This is not a fair fight!" The ranger shoves the blade of the cleaver into the young man's right shoulder. "AH!" Kris drops the sword and quickly steps back as his skin aches and bleeds madly. Ralsei sheds a couple of tears and holds out his hand.

"Please stop!" He shouts desperately. "We don't need to kill anyone!" The ranger heartlessly rolls his eyes.

"You're just too wimpy to handle me. Aren't you?" He asks. "You have limited range of motion, and without it, you're powerless!" He pinches the edge of his blade and smears the blood off. "Well, it's too late! This time I will win, and the king will grant me the money I badly deserve!" He raises the cleaver high, and suddenly, a lone projectile knocks it out of his hands. "Huh?!"

"Was that a star?" Lancer asks as the ranger turns around. Standing before him is the eight-and-a-half-foot checker king.

"Mm, mm!" K. Round grunts as Rouxls Kaard steps in behind him.

"Hold on a second, you douchebag." The royal duke says as the ranger glares. "Who hired you to kill the lighteners?"

"No one!" The enraged Rudinn answers. "But I know the king will reward me once they're all dead!" He says as Rouxls shakes his head.

"I hardly think so, you're being demoted." He states as he faces the checker king. "King Round, crush him!" Kris smiles at the sight of this.

"I never would've thought this guy would fight for us." He says as Lancer shrugs.

"I knew appointing K. Round the throne was a good idea." The ranger snarls and turns back toward the lighteners.

"I'm killing you guys first!" He shouts as he reaches for the cleaver on the floor, but the moment he touches it, the heavy king stomps firmly on his hand. "OW!" He screams painfully as K. Round repositions himself in front of the heroes.

"Ha, ha, ha!" The checker king laughs as he gives a daring look to the ranger.

"Alright, I'm going to puncture you like a juice box!" The enraged Rudinn shouts as he fires diamond spears at the checker king. K. Round stands firmly and lets the spears hit his body, barely making any impact whatsoever.

"Is that really the best you can do?" Ralsei asks in amusement as the disgruntled ranger grabs the cleaver.

"Hardly!" He exclaims as he leaps into the air and strikes the crown on his head, causing it to loosen. Lancer summons a couple of spades.

"Would you like a hand, good sire?" He asks politely as the checker king lightly shakes his head. Kris gives Lancer a savage look.

"I don't think our king needs hands." He points at K. Round's muscular legs. "I mean really, who needs arms with legs like those?" The king raises his legs high and stars fly out of his feet, striking the ranger painfully.

"ARG!" He grunts loudly as he glares at Lancer behind K. Round's leg. "Ah, ha!" He launches a spear at the king's leg.

"Hm!" K. Round squats in front of Lancer as the ranger launches a second spear, willingly taking the blow for the spade prince, though unfortunately, the second spear strikes him directly on the crown and the shiny hat falls off his head. "HE?!" He reacts fearfully as Kris, Lancer, and Rouxls Kaard gasp.

"Gotcha!" The ranger celebrates as the checker king shrinks down to size. "Now this will be way easier!" Ralsei picks up the crown and steps forward.

"Here sir." He says as he holds the crown above the checker's head. "I'll put it-"

"SILENCE!" The ranger exclaims as he firmly throws the cleaver at the shaded goat, piercing his left hip.

"OW!" Ralsei exclaims as he drops the crown and steps back. Kris glares deeply at the ranger.

"Alright, you dreadful dick! I've had it with you!" He retracts the cleaver from his boyfriend's hip and holds it forward. "Come at me!" He calls, attempting to ignore his greatly-aching muscles. The ranger sneers rudely.

"Oh please, all of you are too weak to fight me and your stupid ruler is too weak to fight me without a crown." He chuckles with a sociopathic grin. "It hardly seems fair." Lancer glares.

"It wasn't fair! You cheated!" The ranger shrugs.

"So what? It's not like I have to play by rules all the time. This game is a little too easy." Suddenly an unexpected voice is heard.

"Yeah, so how about we make it harder?" He says, causing Kris, Ralsei, and Lancer to gasp.

"JEVIL?!" They all exclaim as the old jester takes off his hat.

"K. Round, catch!" He shouts as he tosses his hat toward the checker king. The ranger glares at Jevil and prepares a diamond spear.

"You bastard! You tricked me with a fake crystal!" The joker shrugs.

"Maybe if you weren't such a sadist, I wouldn't have done that." The ranger slithers closer and grabs Jevil by his collar.

"Do you really think you're strong enough to handle me now?!" He asks with fury. The joker shakes his head.

"No." He says as a slight smirk appears on his face. "But he might." He points behind him and the ranger turns around.

"Oh please, I- WHAT?!" K. Round stands twelve feet tall with ferocious arms at his side, along with his normally large legs. Jevil's hat rests on top of his bald head.

"Alright!" Lancer shouts as the wild king faces him and winks, then gives an intimidating grin to the sadistic ranger.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" He screams as he shivers madly. "THIS ISN'T FAIR AT ALL!" He whines as the cyan boy shrugs.

"You probably should've thought about that before you stabbed us before." He says in a savage tone as the ranger begins sweating massively.

"No, no! Please don't!" He shouts as the king flexes his arms, greatly frightening the ranger. Jevil chuckles and pats him on the shoulder.

"You can't do anything." He whispers as he teleports behind the giant checker. K. Round cracks his knuckles and stares down at him.

"No! I'm sorry!" He gulps and shivers. "PLEASE HAVE MERCY!" The ranger screams desperately. The king glances at the lighteners for a second. Kris slams one fist into his other palm with a satisfied smirk.

"Crush him." Lancer gives the checker a thumbs up.

"Go for it!" Ralsei cries a single tear.

"I don't know, the guy is scared and in checkmate." He says as Lancer lightly bumps his sore chest. "Ow!"

"Did that feel good?" The spade boy asks as Ralsei winces. "How about that?" He asks as he points at Ralsei's bleeding hip. The shaded goat glares and looks up to the king.

"Crush. His. Ass." Ralsei says in a serious tone. K. Round faces back to the ranger and raises his fist.

"NNOOOO!" The ranger exclaims. "AUG!" K. Round's fist crushes the ranger into oblivion, completely squishing his entire form.

"HA!" Lancer shouts as he points at the squished corpse. "How'd that feel you little bitch?" He exclaims as Kris and Ralsei chuckle a few times.

"Way to go K. Round." Ralsei weakly says as Kris faces the only person who isn't chuckling.

"Jevil?" He asks as the joker faces him. "What's wrong?" The jester sighs and descends to the ground.

"This is all my fault. I'm the one who scammed that Rudinn Ranger and you poor children paid the price for his rage." The purple dragon lightly raises her head.

"Oh… what did I miss?" She asks as Lancer levitates toward her quickly.

"Susie! You're alright!" He exclaims as her eyes widen.

"What happened to him?" She asks in an intimidated tone as she points at the oversized checker. Rouxls steps forward and smiles lightly.

"The royal king has decimated thou arch nemesis with the power of the royal jester's hat." K. Round takes the hat off and hands it to Jevil.

"Thanks, good sir." The joker responds as he puts it back on his head and the checker shrinks back down to size. Ralsei sets the crown on his head.

"Here's your crown." He says as the king regains his legs and bows politely. Susie then faces the jester.

"But Jevil, what happened to you?" She asks as he sighs deeply.

"The Spade King stole my magic cards, and removed my immortality." Kris sheds a tear. "I've regained all the years I would've otherwise suspended with my immortality." Ralsei steps forward, groaning from the pain in his hip.

"I'm so sorry." He states as Jevil puts his arms on the goat's shoulders.

"No, I'm sorry Ralsei." He says in a saddened tone. "I'm the reason you guys almost died. The Spade King is free and you guys are hurt." Rouxls Kaard glances into the other room.

"It's safe to come out now." He calls as the spinning chef reenters the room.

"Oui, I'm glad you're all safe, save for a few injuries." Lancer sighs and levitates toward him.

"It's alright, we just need a little food to heal from the pain." The chef glooms and turns away.

"I'm dearly sorry my friends, but we're all out of food." He says as tears reach his eyes. "The ranger thrashed my entire kitchen before he stole my cleaver." He says shamefully as Ralsei glances back to the checker king.

"Can't you produce more almond milk?" He asks as the king glooms and shakes his head. Rouxls sighs and sheds a couple tears.

"Thy royal king lacks the power to conjure the holy dairy product when his health is full. And Jevil's hat must've set his health higher than it's normally capable of." He says as Ralsei sits against the wall and continues crying lightly from the pain.

"That's not good. I don't think I'll have enough strength to stay up much longer." Kris pats his shoulder and gives him a noble look.

"I promise I'll go out there and find some food for you." He pledges as Susie grabs her battleax.

"Yeah, we'll get on Lancer's bike and get to a supermarket faster than you can blink." The blackjack sighs.

"The ranger popped my tire." He says shamefully as Susie's eyes widen.

"What?! What are we going to do?!" She panics as Kris lifts up his sword, his muscles ache with agony as he does so.

"We'll just have to risk our lives for him." He says as Ralsei sniffles.

"If you do that, you'll all die before I lose enough blood. You can hardly dodge with these injuries." He pats Kris on his wounded shoulder, causing him to wince. "And you can hardly hold your weapon with that injury." Susie and Lancer sit down and begin weeping quietly.

"We're going to miss you," Lancer says in a broken voice.

"Thanks for being such a dear friend," Susie says as Jevil slowly floats forward.

"Worry not, my dear friends." He says as he stands in front of Ralsei and puts his hand to his heart. "I'll take care of Ralsei." He closes his eyes, bows his head forward and his body glows brightly. Causing Lancer and Susie to immediately look away.

"Whoa!" The reptilian teen reacts.

"What is that power?" The spade boy asks as Ralsei's wound closes, and the strain within his heart regains its position. Once Jevil is done glowing, the shaded goat's injuries are completely gone. The cyan boy gasps in aw and hugs his boyfriend.

"Ralsei! You look so much better!" He says as Ralsei smiles largely.

"I feel better." He says before noticing the handsome lad's heavy breathing. "But what about you?" He asks as the human stops hugging him and sighs.

"I've still got time before these injuries kill me." He reassures as the joker taps him on the shoulder.

"Say no more, brave Kris," Jevil says with a coy smile before glowing and repeating the process. Before Jevil's too bright to look at, Kris notices he looks older than he did a minute ago. Before he's able to do anything, all his strength is regained, and his pulse regains it's normal pace. Ralsei stands up and smiles greatly.

"Kris! You're better!" He exclaims as he hugs him.

"I sure am." He says proudly as Ralsei kisses him on the cheek. Susie sighs deeply and faces the jester.

"Wait, are you hurting yourself when you do that?" She asks as Jevil faces her and puts his hand to his heart.

"Please worry not of me, Susie." He says as he puts his left hand to her forehead and closes his eyes. "I'm more worried about you." The purple dragon girl smiles coyly as she feels her slit wrist and collar regain their covering skin cells and her painful headache fades away, as well as the abrasion on the side of her head. Jevil opens his eyes and hardly is able to see her anymore, nor maintain his normal posture.

"Jevil…" She begins saying. "Thank you." The joker nods once, causing his neck to crick lightly.

"You're welcome, my friend." He faces Lancer and the spade prince glooms through his facial shadow.

"Please Jevil, I'm a little tougher physically. Don't heal me." He pleads calmly as the jester smiles and begins glowing.

"I don't need to obey you, Lancer. I can do anything." He says in a weaker voice as Lancer's internal organs rejuvenate from the holy aura. By the time he's done, he hunches forward and nearly falls.

"Is that better?" He asks in a much deeper and lower toned voice than before. Lancer nods.

"Yeah but," He sheds a couple tears. "You don't look so well." He says shamefully as Ralsei and Kris grab Jevil's shoulders, guiding his balance for him.

"I don't care." He says before coughing once. "I did it for your health." Ralsei and Kris begin crying equally as much.

"We really appreciate it!" The meek goat exclaims. "But, now you're much weaker!" He says before bursting into tears. Jevil faces him and lightly strokes the edges of his eyes, wiping the tears for him.

"Please don't cry Ralsei." He says lightly. "You're too healthy to be saddened all the time." Susie manages to keep her tears back, but she feels the same sadness all of them feel.

"Jevil, why did you do that for us?" She asks as he faces her. "I thought we were your enemies." The elderly joker smiles lightly and shakes his head slowly.

"No Susie, you guys aren't. And I was very foolish to make you guys out to be my foes." He says as he faces Kris. "You were correct about heroes. They should focus more on caring for one another than fighting amongst themselves." He says as he pats the handsome lad's shoulder. "And that wisdom is something I'll forever cherish." He says as Lancer levitates forward.

"But what are you going to do now?" He asks with concern. "You're very slow moving, very senile, and have very weak bone density." Jevil shrugs and looks back toward Rouxls Kaard.

"I suppose now I go back to solitary confinement and resume my sentence." The royal duke, spinning chef, and checker king shake their heads.

"No Jevil. Your sentence is over." He says as the chef steps forward.

"I agree. And is there any chance I can make you a retirement cake?" He asks. Jevil shakes his head.

"No thanks. I'll just be on my way now." He says as he levitates out of Kris and Ralsei's arms.

"Wait, what will you do now?" Ralsei asks as Jevil sighs.

"I'm too weak to continue being the Devil's Knife and too slow to cast projectiles anymore." Susie frowns lightly.

"So basically, you can't do anything?" The joker sighs and nods.

"Regrettably, I can't." He says in a shameful tone. "But I'm truly happy that you four beautiful, innocent, loving children can move on with your lives without your scars or any pain." He turns to the door and prepares to take off. "Farewell."

"Wait!" The cyan boy calls out, causing him to pause. "I just wanted to say thank you." The jester turns around and faces Kris.

"For healing you? You're welcome." Kris shakes his head.

"No, thanks for everything you've done." He says as Ralsei, Susie, and Lancer come closer.

"Thanks for putting me in love with Kris," Ralsei says as Jevil raises an eyebrow.

"You wanted that?" He asks in confusion as Ralsei chuckles and glances at the human, blushing lightly.

"I didn't think so at the time, but I love Kris and he loves me." He turns back to the elderly joker. "And you're the one who made that happen." The reptilian teen chuckles and wraps her arm around Lancer.

"I never thought I'd say this, but I agree with him." She squeezes the spade prince lightly. "You've shown my sadistic heart what it's like to love someone, and as far as boyfriends go, Lancer goes the extra mile." The blackjack giggles lightly.

"Thanks, Susie." He remarks, then smiles at Jevil. "If it weren't for that fight that we had, I never would've learned to love Susie." The senile jester sheds a tear.

"This isn't what I expected when I plotted my revenge, but…" He passionately smiles at the four loving friends. "I'm happy things turned out this way." Kris steps forward and stands next to Ralsei, holding his hand.

"Well Jevil, you've allowed the beauty to joy within our hearts. And we're forever grateful for that." Jevil sniffles lightly and levitates forward, holding out his arms.

"Group hug!" He says joyfully as the four lighteners crowd him from different angles. They stand there for a few seconds, letting the warmth of their embrace flow through one another, and a few seconds later, they end it. "Thank you very much." He says as he levitates toward the door, before stopping and facing them once more. "Hey." He mumbles, catching their attention.

"What is it Jevil?" Kris asks as Jevil frowns lightly.

"I predict the Spade King will challenge you quickly, so please be careful." They all glance at each other and then nod in unison.

"We will," Ralsei says. Jevil nods once and floats out.

"Good, goodbye now." Susie raises an eyebrow.

"Wait, where are you going?" She asks.

"My old friend's." He calls back, then proceeds to exit the castle.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Well, to say I made it through writing this chapter with dry eyes would be lying. My goal from the beginning was to make Jevil the hero, and now look where he's at. I truly can't thank any of you enough for favoriting, following, reviewing, or even just coming back to read the next chapter once it's out. This is currently my fastest growing story in popularity, and I couldn't have done it alone. So thank you all for reading, and have a nice day. Only a few chapters remain.**


	12. Illusions of Youth

Illusions of Youth

 **Author's Note: I'm trying very hard not to rush the plot of this story, but it's getting increasingly tougher as I go. I'll just say I'm not really good with suspense and ending a chapter on a cliffhanger doesn't really count so much as leaving hints and small details that paint a bigger picture in the end. Anyways, screw what I think, let's just move on.**

* * *

It's around six thirty when the old, suffering jester finally makes it to Seam's shop. His peripheral vision has faded entirely and his muscles ache just levitating on them. When he finally enters the shop he looks around lightly.

"Seam?" Jevil asks in a very weak voice. "Are you in here old pal?" He levitates inside the room and descends to the floor when a blue person lightly walks up to him.

"Sorry pal, you're a little late." The small adult says. Jevil rubs the edges of his eyes and identifies a small light blue puzzle piece with light beard hairs growing in. He has a monopoly hat on his head.

"Late?" The old joker asks as the puzzle man sighs and shuts his eyes.

"Look what happened while you were gone." He points at the broken shelf. Jevil sheds a single tear at the sight of Seam's property completely dismantled. There's broken glass and ceramic fragments all over the floor. But one thing grips his emotions more than anything else.

"Seam?" He calls out lightly as he spots his best friend lying on his side motionlessly. "Old pal, it's me. Jevil." He lightly lifts the motionless cat upward and lays him on his back. A deep cut is buried in his forehead, and his right eye is scarred similarly to his left one. His body had been getting colder and stiffer by the minute. Jevil's eyelids droop and his tears begin flooding his face.

"Seam… you're dead." He mumbles in a heartbroken tone. "Why did this happen to you?" He asks as the puzzle man pats him on the back.

"I'm extremely sorry pal." He says as Jevil squeezes Seam's corpse.

"He was my last remaining friend!" He exclaims before coughing twice. "He and I spent so much time with each other before that tyrant had to step in between us!" He continues sobbing loudly as the puzzle man reaches into his shirt pocket, and withdraws Jevil's final card. He stares at the cover of it for a second and then faces the jester.

"Might I ask why you came here?" Jevil sighs and glances at him.

"I wanted to see my best friend after all these years." He then turns away to hide his sadness. "But I was stupid. I should've come to see him a couple days ago." He chokes up on his sore throat and stuffed nose. "Instead I went after my new friends." The puzzle man flips the card over and holds it in front of him.

"Where'd you get this?" He asks as Jevil reads the label.

"Join the club." He turns away and frowns. "That's the last card of my four wilds. The Spade King stole everything else." The puzzle guy smiles and reads the description.

"Force your enemies to feel part of a club they'll never be secluded from." He looks back up at Jevil. "It sounds pretty fun. Do you have plans on using it?" Jevil sighs lengthily.

"No, I don't. 'Fun' just doesn't seem to agree with me anymore." He says as he continues hugging his deceased friend. The puzzle man makes a mischievous grin.

"Forgive me for this." He says as the card starts glowing. "But I'm going to play it." Jevil gasps as he faces him.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?!" He exclaims as the environment changes around him.

"Actually, the real question is, what do you think **you're** doing?" He asks before vanishing. Before Jevil is capable of doing anything, the entire world around him begins changing forms.

* * *

A few moments later, the elderly jester is levitating in the middle of a clubhouse. There are poker tables all over the room and many lighteners and darkeners from Jevil's past are playing Texas Holdem. The Joker's eyes light up the second he sees this.

"What is going on?!" He shouts before coughing weakly. One of his former friends faces him and his expression lights up.

"Hey everybody! Jevil is back!" He exclaims.

"JEVIL!" Many friends exclaim loudly.

"We missed you buddy!"

"It's great to see you again!"

"Thanks for coming back!" Though everyone in the room is beaming with enthusiasm, Jevil himself can't help but gloom lightly.

"This isn't real." He mumbles. "None of you are actually here, nor is anyone alive and breathing." Everyone's expressions shift as an old turtle steps forward.

"Come on Jevil, we're trying to have a good time." The jester sighs and faces him.

"I know Gerson." He mumbles. "And I wish I could join you all." He says as the turtle taps him on the shoulder.

"What happened to you? You looked so much younger last time we saw you." He asks concerned as others mumble in agreement.

"Yeah, you aged greatly."

"You never aged much last time." The joker sighs and stares at the floor.

"It would appear my immortality has faded away, just like my youth." He glances back up at Gerson. "But why am I complaining? I should just stab myself or drink a poison, and then I'll be able to join you all in the afterlife." He says.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" A hearty voice calls out. Jevil's eyes light up and he turns around.

"Seam?!" He exclaims as he floats forward. "I missed you!" He attempts to hug his newly deceased friend, but his body goes through his spirit.

"Ha." Seam chuckles. "I suppose you don't know how death works." Jevil looks up and stares at his old pal. His left eye is open again and his scar is gone. He still looks the same age as he did when he died, but he's in much better shape.

"I don't believe it, you look so much better than I remember." He says in aw as the dark cat chuckles.

"I see you finally began aging." He jokes, though unlike usual, Jevil doesn't chuckle. Instead, he shamefully glances down.

"I know, and I'm tired of living." Everyone in the room gasps as he faces them. "What? You guys are all passed away, and you all look really good, and I would kill to have as much fun as all of you are having without me." Gerson chuckles heartily.

"You can still have fun while you're alive." Jevil shakes his head.

"Not without friends." He says as Seam shakes his head.

"Jevil, we're here for you." The crowd of amigos begins chanting again.

"Yeah! We're here for you!"

"We've got your back pal!"

"We will never abandon you, buddy!" Jevil sighs.

"But no one is actually here." The chanting stops. "All of you are dead, and I'm still standing alone in Seam's abandoned shop." Gerson shakes his head.

"That's false." He says as he points at him. "You see Jevil? We still live on within you." The jester flinches and looks back up.

"What do you mean?" He asks as Seam gives him a passionate look.

"It doesn't matter if we're alive or dead." He states. "Our souls will always live on within you. We'll never stop resonating within you as long as you live." Jevil faces his best friend.

"Do you really mean that?" He asks with an adorable smile. Seam gives him a promising grin.

"Of course pal." Jevil looks around at all of the other people he'd missed for so long. A single tear comes to both of his eyes, and the second they drop down his face, his vision is slightly greater.

"I feel so loved." He says in a broken, but joyful tone. Gerson grins.

"We're glad to hear that. And we want you to do one thing with us before you leave." Jevil chuckles.

"Alright, what is it?" Seam hands him a golf club.

"Let's give that old miniature golf course one more game." Jevil's smile vanishes.

"But, the Spade King dismantled that course over twenty years ago. He wanted that land to be used for a field." Gerson opens the door and points at the land around them.

"This dimension isn't going to accept the drawbacks of land repossession." Jevil gasps in awe at the sight of the beautiful golf course before him.

"Wow! This dimension can do anything!" He heartily says as everyone follows him outside. Seam chuckles.

"And can't you do anything?" He asks as Jevil sighs lightly.

"I used to be able to." He says as Gerson steps up to the first hole and withdraws the flag.

"Come on old pal, you used to be the best golfer in this dimension." He says as Jevil steps up to the starting point and drops his ball.

"Speaking of which, when did you leave this dimension?" He asks as he takes a practice swing, the club weighs down his weak muscles. Gerson shrugs.

"I managed to enter the light world before my time came to me." Jevil sighs deeply and stands straight.

"Fantastic." He remarks as he repositions away from the putting stance with a doubtful look. "I don't want to do this. I'll miss it for sure." Seam shakes his head.

"Nonsense! You've never missed a hole in one on this hole before." Jevil glances at the crowd.

"I don't know, I don't want to miss in front of all of my old friends." The old turtle chuckles.

"Come on folks, let's give our friend some support!" Gerson says while raising his fist.

"Jevil! Jevil! Jevil!" They chant as the dark cat smiles at his best friend.

"Well, are you ready now?" He asks as Jevil gives a daring grin.

"Okay. Let's putt!" He does his best to analyze the angle with his limited vision and lightly pulls back his club. "Four!" He calls before swinging, but suddenly, the universe alters before his eyes. One man and woman are holding a loud crying child in their arms.

* * *

"What do you want to name him?" The man asks as the Joker turns their direction.

"How about Jevil?" The woman asks as the man chuckles.

"I like that name. Jevil it is!" He exclaims as they hug the baby. The jester sheds a tear.

"Mom? Dad?" Just as Jevil gets a good look at the baby clown, he hears a loud barrage of voices.

"WOOHOO!" He flinches as the crowd behind him cheers.

"A hole in one!" Gerson exclaims as he chucks the flag on the ground in celebration. Jevil gives a questioning look.

"I made it?" He asks as Seam pats him on the shoulder.

"Now you see that? I knew you still had a good putt inside you!" The jester sighs and faces the dark cat.

"Did you and I see the same thing?" He asks as Seam gives him a thumbs up.

"You bet! I saw that ball make its way into the hole!" He says heartily. Gerson points at the next hole.

"Well! Let's keep going!" He insists as Jevil levitates up to the second hole. This one has a couple of rocks a few feet in. They lie staggered upward with the potential to deflect the ball entirely. Jevil drops the ball at the starting point.

"Go get them, old pal." Seam says as Jevil tries refocusing on the hole.

*It was probably a rare hallucination.* He thinks to himself. *If no one else saw it, then it wasn't real.* He taps the club to the edge of his ball and prepares to watch it travel into the hole, but the scenery changes again. The father in the last one appears again with another man. A young blue and white man with a black spade-shaped shadow over his eyes.

* * *

"Brother Spade, this is my new son Jevil." He says as the older brother in law laughs.

"Ha! He looks just like you!" He says in a hearty voice. "Is he a lightener or a darkener?" He asks as the new parent chuckles.

"Both." He says. The elderly Joker raises an eyebrow.

*I'm both? But that-*

"WAHOO!" The crowd applauds and the old jester flinches upon the sudden uproar.

"Whoa!" Jevil nearly drops the club. Gerson throws the flag on the ground.

"He scores again!" Jevil frowns and faces the dark cat.

"Seam! I'm really losing my head. I think two holes is enough for one day." Seam chuckles.

"Really? You're hardly beginning." He says as the crowd walks over to the third hole. A small tunnel appears in front of the hole. Seam drops the golf ball at the starting point and points at the hole. "Now go sink that putt." Jevil frowns and slaps himself on the forehead.

*Come on Jevil! Lose the memories! They're not relevant anymore!* He aims the ball at the hole and swings the club. He shuts his eyes tightly to avoid distractions, but he hears a very familiar voice.

* * *

"Hi! I'm Jevil!" The joker gasps as he sees a young version of himself with a cute grey cat.

"Oh, hello Jevil. I'm Seam." The cat responds shyly as the young jester touches his cheek.

"Why is your face so soft?" He asks as the young kitten blushes lightly and smiles shyly.

"I don't know, maybe you just have soft hands." He says as the young joker wraps his arm around his waist.

"Well Seam, I can see it now! You and I are destined to be best friends forever!" The elderly jester sheds a few tears as he watches this.

"Okay. I'll be your friend." The shy cat responds before the wave of cheering kicks in.

"WHOO!" The crowd proceeds to cheer as Jevil shakes off the vision. He'd scored his third hole in one in a row.

"Now are you having fun?" Gerson asks as the joker shrugs.

"So, I happened to make three holes in one in a row. So what?" He asks as Seam chuckles.

"I don't think any of us have ever made three in a row before. Right guys?!"

"Jevil! Jevil! Jevil! WHOO!" More applause happens as Seam walks Jevil over to the fourth hole. This one is a spiral with a log leading to the hole on the end. Before Jevil swings, he faces the dark feline.

"Seam, I'm having random visions of my past. What do they mean?" He asks as Seam shrugs.

"It must be the feeling of fun." He says as he drops the golf ball at the starting point. "Keep going! You're doing great!" Jevil stares at the hole for a second before facing the crowd.

"I don't know, it took me a few months to make this hole in one swing, and I'm much older and weaker now." He solemnly lies, his muscles were beginning to feel better with each putt. Gerson grabs the flag and prepares to remove it.

"Give it your best shot." He says as the old jester squints at the hole. He braces himself for the next vision as he taps the ball with his club. He's suddenly brought to a much sadder environment with the blue spade man and his father.

* * *

"Our father is dead." Spade says as the wildcard man frowns.

"But who killed him?" He asks as the older brother makes a fist.

"The lighteners!" He says with frustration. "Those lighteners are going to pay!" The younger brother sighs and shrugs.

"I'm sure it was a mere grudge. No reason to attack them all." The Spade man sighs.

"Perhaps you're right." He says before the wave comes in.

"YEAH!" Jevil stares at the hole as Gerson pulls his ball out.

"I knew you still had it in you!" He exclaims as the crowd continues.

"You're awesome Jevil!"

"There's nothing you cannot do!" Seam steps forward and gives him a thumbs up.

"I'm proud of you friend." He says as Jevil smiles coyly. His vision is slightly greater than before.

"Thanks, Seam." He turns toward the ground. "But I don't know how much longer I can maintain the ability to play." The dark cat rolls his eyes.

"How about after five more holes." Jevil glances around and shrugs.

"Alright." They make their way towards the fifth hole, a windmill with a ramp with a thirty-five-degree angle and a small slide aiming toward the hole on the end. Jevil turns to the crowd and notices it's smaller. It had about sixty-five people a minute ago and now it's around fifty. Gerson notices he's a little confused.

"Is something up pal?" He asks as Jevil stares at the crowd.

"Weren't there more people than this in the last hole?" He asks as Seam sets his ball down.

"Ignore that." He states as he points at the windmill. "Go for the windmill!" He cheers as the crowd applauds. The jester closes his eyes and swings the club, he opens his eyes to the image of a courtroom.

* * *

"And so you admit you killed our family members?!" The new Spade King asks with fury. The lone lightener nods with great fear.

"Yes, but it's not because I wanted to." He mumbles weakly as the young court jester metronomes his finger.

"Oh no, you did so!" Jevil frowns lightly at his former self as he proceeds. "And now you shall perish, like the darkeners you didn't cherish!" He rhymes as the modern jester facepalms.

"Tell me I wasn't that oblivious." He says before the crowd cheers.

"WAHOO! Jevil! Jevil! Jevil!" He glances around at his fans and smiles lightly.

"Okay, I'm grateful to have fans." He says as he lowers his hand. "But it's really hard to focus with all this cheering." He says as Seam shrugs.

"What are we going to do about it? It's not our fault you're so good at this game." Gerson guides them over to the sixth hole. This one is a twenty-foot long straightaway with a couple slanted guides in the grass. Jevil shrugs and leans on his club.

"I don't know. I never mastered this one." He says as Gerson chuckles.

"Yeah, but only about ten of us have ever made a hole in one here." He points at the joker. "You, on the other hand, have done it multiple times." Jevil rolls his eyes.

"But I haven't played in years. What if I miss?" He asks as Seam points to the crowd, now down to about thirty friends.

"These people will cheer for you no matter what happens." He says as the remaining members nod in agreement. Jevil sighs and swings the club. He's then drawn into a memory involving some murders.

* * *

"And as punishment for the loss of me and my brother's entire family, all lighteners are to perish!" The ruthless king shouts as the younger brother gives him a sad look.

"But what about my wife?" He asks. "She's a lightener." He says as the king shakes his head.

"You'll have to divorce her and banish her from this kingdom." He says with a serious tone. The elderly joker gasps as his father pulls out a family portrait.

"But what about my son?" He asks. "What will I tell my beloved Jevil?" He asks with sadness. The king shrugs.

"Tell Jevil to say goodbye to his mother." He responds as the memory fades away.

"WAHOO!" The remaining people cheer as the old turtle throws the flag like a spear.

"And that's how it is done!" He shouts as he points to the next hole. "Let's keep going!" The Joker levitates up to hole seven with a hidden depressed look in his eyes, a staggered zigzag with a couple ramps awaits him. When he faces the crowd, only ten people are left including Gerson and Seam.

"Well pal, you're doing perfect so far. Give this hole a go." He says as the old, yet reasonably healthy joker sighs.

"I'm losing my winning attitude." He says as he points at the crowd. "Where's the rest of the cheering section?" He asks as Seam sighs and gives a sad frown.

"Most people don't make it this far." He states as he points to the hole. "But you, I, and the rest of them do." He says in a wise tone as Jevil raises an eyebrow in confusion.

"This golf game is a timeline waiting to unravel?" He asks as Seam sighs.

"Potentially." He points to the hole. "If you want to know more, you'll need to putt." Jevil takes a deep breath and relaxes his now non-aching muscles. He calmly swings the club and lets the ball roll. He's then brought to the battlefield he wished he'd never witnessed.

* * *

"What is going on here?" The younger jester asks at the sight of his father and uncle in a sparring position. "Are you guys fighting?" He asks as his father nods with anger.

"We have no choice!" He exclaims as he raises his weapon. The young Jevil then asks another question in a sadder tone.

"And where's mom? I haven't seen her all day." He says as the older looking cat grabs his arm.

"Come Jevil, it's not something we should be part of." He says as he pulls his best friend away from the dual. The memory fades to the sound of applause.

"Good job Jevil!" One of them shouts as Gerson picks up the ball.

"That was a pretty good shot, none of us ever made that one in one shot." He says as he gives the ball back to Jevil. "Well, I think our time here is done." He says as the crowd begins dispersing. Jevil faces Seam.

"What about you? Are you leaving to?" He asks as the dark feline smiles cutely and shuts his eyes.

"No Jevil, I'm here with you until the end." He grabs the jester's arm and escorts him to the eighth hole, another windmill with a very difficult slant to overcome and couple rocks standing on the edges. The joker sighs and shakes his head.

"I don't know. I only ever made this one once." He says. Seam smiles lightly.

"And I was there when it happened." He reminds him. "When we went back to tell everyone, they couldn't believe it." He gives him a thumbs up. "But I believed it. And I know you can do it again." He says in a humble tone. Jevil sighs and faces him.

"Seam, before I continue, I need to know one thing." He says as the cat's ears perk up. "Did you actually imprison me ten years ago?" Seam glooms.

"I'm extremely sorry. But it's true that I did." Jevil's eyes widen, his peripheral vision has come back.

"What?! Why?!" He asks, his throat not feeling sore anymore. The dark feline sighs.

"I had to." He mumbles in a melancholy tone. Jevil shakes his head.

"No! I don't believe you!" He tosses his club on the ground. "I'll never believe that!" Seam picks the club back up and hands it to him.

"Jevil, I need you to finish this game." The joker sighs and reluctantly steps up to his ball. "And I need you to believe, that it's possible I locked you away." He says as Jevil shuts his eyes adamantly.

"I really don't want to believe it." He says in a low tone voice. Seam sighs.

"Please believe it and take your next shot." He says. The jester glances at the hole for a second poises his muscles and then swings the ball. The scenery changes to a vision of the Spade King ruthlessly battering an unconscious Jevil.

* * *

"Perish!" He shouts as he slams his tail blade against the defenseless jester. Jevil gasps upon seeing this. "PERISH!" He screams louder as Seam runs in.

"Good lord! Please stop!" He begs as the king faces him with an angered look.

"He's one of them! He needs to die!" He then faces the unconscious joker again. "If he doesn't perish, I'll make sure his pain never goes away!" Seam runs out and grabs him by the arm before he strikes again.

"Please, sir! You could just lock him away!" He says as the king frowns.

"Fine. But after you lock him up, take the key far, far, away!" He gives an intimidating look through his facial shadow. "And make sure it never, ever returns. Got it?" The old cat sheds a couple of tears and nods.

"Yes, your highness." He picks up his injured friend and carries him into the dungeon. The modern jester sheds a couple of tears as he watches young Seam toss him behind bars. "Goodbye Jevil." He says in a sad tone before locking the door. "I hope someday, I can see you again." He says before leaving. Jevil shuts his eyes tightly, and reopens them to the sight of his old friend clapping lightly.

* * *

"Good job buddy. You made it." Seam grabs the ball out of the hole and steps toward him. "I knew you could do it again." He says as he hands it back to him. Jevil sheds a couple of tears.

"So that's what happened?" He asks. "You locked me away to protect me?" He asks as the old cat glooms and nods.

"Yeah. I'm really sorry." He apologizes. Jevil leaps forward and attempts to hug him, only for his arms to go right through his body. "Ha, it seems you forgot I'm a ghost." He says jokingly as Jevil stands up and continues crying with a shameful look.

"Thank you Seam." He says passionately. "Thank you for protecting me." Seam smiles and points to the last hole.

"I think you've got one more putt to make." He says as Jevil glances at the hole.

"Are you going to watch me try?" He asks. His old friend smiles lightly and shakes his head.

"Sorry, but I'm afraid that would not be possible." He says as he turns around. "My time is already up." Jevil drops the ball on the ground.

"No! I don't want to go any further." He says firmly. "I want to go with you! You're my closest friend!" He pleads as more tears come to his face. The wise cat turns around and shakes his head with a proud look.

"Sorry pal now's not your time to go." He says as he approaches Jevil one last time. "You're still alive, and you have friends you need to be there for." He says as he hugs him. Jevil can feel his aura hugging him despite the fact that he's a ghost.

"I do?" He asks as Seam nods.

"Yes. You need to be there for Lancer, and his allies." He says as he pats him on the back. "They are your new friends, and if you're going to die, please die protecting them. Sacrifice is what makes a hero." He says as he pulls away from the hug. "Maybe then it will be your time. But today, you're alive and I am dead, so things must go this way." He says as he turns around and begins walking away. Jevil glooms lightly.

"I'll miss you." He says as the dark cat stops. He turns his neck lightly to reveal half of his face.

"Don't feel that way Jevil. I'm still living within you, and I always will." He says as the jester begins smiling lightly, eyes still soaked in tears. "Goodbye old friend." He says as he faces forward and walks into the sunset, Jevil waves lightly as his spirit fades into the light.

"Goodbye Seam." He says as he wipes the tears off his chin. "And thank you for everything." He pauses for a second. "Huh?" He strokes his chin and realizes his beard is gone. He raises his arm up and waves it frantically, no soreness is felt whatsoever. He shuts his eyes tightly and then reopens them. His formerly peripheral vision has completely returned to normal. He gives a daring frown as he steps up to the final hole and drops the ball at the final starting point.

*Today is the day Jevil.* He thinks to himself. *You've never made this putt before, no matter how many attempts you made in the past.* He opens his eyes and stares at the far away hole. *But today is a new day. You'll never get another opportunity again. This **will** be your first perfect game!* He smiles proudly and raises his club high. *You can do ANYTHING!* A sheer rush of determination rushes through his body.

"FOUR!" The joker swings the club powerfully, yet still light enough for the ball to remain on the ground. The ball rolls around and bounces off the rocks on the side. It continues to spin around as it rotates over the sand trap, successfully avoiding getting stuck. Jevil's eyes light up as the ball rolls down the ramp and rushes past the hole. He tenses up as he watches the momentum of the ball carry it back toward the small hole. His jaw opens widely and lowers more and more by the second. The ball spins around the outside of the hole, and finally, time slows as Jevil focuses his hearing only on the thudding sound of the ball bouncing in the hole. He shuts his eyes quickly and looks up into the sky.

"YES!" He cheers at the top of his lungs, instead of soreness, his cheer felt amazing inside. "I made it! I finally made it!" His eyes begin crying a waterfall of purely joyful tears. When the tears finally stop to the point he can see again, he's back in Seam's shop.

* * *

"Wow! That was so much fun!" He cheers as the puzzle man enters the room.

"What's with all the ruckus?" He asks as Jevil dances around in place.

"It was fun! So much fun!" The puzzle man smirks and steps forward.

"Buddy, look at your reflection." He says as he points at a mirror behind him. Jevil gasps joyfully at the image before him. His beard and facial wrinkles were gone, his pale face regained its shade of blue, his posture was back to the way it was before, and his clothes fit perfectly on him as opposed to him being too wimpy to fit them. He had very clear eyesight and strong painless muscles. Not a single bit of pain he'd endured an hour ago was still with him.

"I don't believe this!" He cheers happily. "I'm young again!" The puzzle guy chuckles.

"It's a good thing I played that card huh? Whoa!" Jevil swiftly picks him up and hugs him.

"Oh! Thank you so much! I could just kiss you!" The Jigsaw man's eyes widen.

"Yeah please don't." He says nervously as Jevil strokes his back.

"Aw, come on cardboard guy, one quick peck on the cheek." He says as the puzzle piece begins shoving his chest.

"No, no! No kissing! It's not normal!" Unfortunately, his attempts to escape were all in vain. The youthful joker is much stronger than he'll ever be. Jevil mercifully rubs his cheek to his face.

"Okay, how about this?" The puzzle man gives a crept look. "Is that better?" The Joker asks as the blue piece chuckles lightly.

"Yeah, I think you've made your point." He says as Jevil sets him on the floor. "Thank you." The jester shakes his head.

"No, thank you for allowing me to enter that fantasy." He says. "I really needed that." The puzzle piece smiles handsomely.

"My pleasure. Now, what are you planning to do now?" Jevil taps his chin.

"Hm… I need to help the lighteners stop the Spade King. But how?" He thinks for a second as the Jigsaw laughs.

"Ha! The Spade King? You must be joking!" He doubtfully exclaims whilst laughing. A lightbulb appears in Jevil's mind.

"Joking, joking, JOKING!" He points firmly at the man, causing him to flinch and his laughter stops. "I'm a joker! And I can use classic comedy items as weapons to thrash the Spade King!" The blue piece holds his hands out.

"Dude, I wasn't serious. Stop joking!" He pleads as Jevil shakes his head.

"Sorry pal, but I'll never stop joking." He goes to Seam's old magic kit and withdraws a few items. "Now it's time to put on a show for the king!"

* * *

 **Author's Note: Well, that was a chapter I needed to get through considering it's potentially the most important one so far. Really sorry to keep you all waiting on this one. But here we are. I hope you enjoyed, and the next one shall be exciting, I promise. Have a nice day!**


	13. The True and Real Revenge

The True and Real Revenge!

 **Author's Note: If you can recall Jevil's final voice line, save for his final 'Metamorphosis,' he says; 'The true and real Chaos!' Let that be the hint that may lead you to a good prediction… and then immediately see if you were right by moving on!**

 **IMPORTANT NOTE: Also, I want to thank all my readers who read my authentic work. But there's one person I'd like to politely ask to back off. Someone who goes by roxyluvsyou1212 on Wattpad is posting Jevil's Revenge as if it were their own. I really don't appreciate it seeing as I don't use Wattpad and you're getting recognition for my work. If you'll at least credit me as Lord Kinesis on Fanfiction as the original author, then I guess I'm okay with it if you want to share with your friends. But I'd like permission next time before you use something I'm responsible for.**

 **That aside, carry on readers.**

* * *

It was 10:00 P.M. sharp and the forest had lost all its illumination. The two lighteners and darkeners made their way to the top of the castle and glanced at their mighty foe. The Spade King was sitting there watching the dark fountain produce darkness as the group steps up slowly. Lancer levitates a few steps ahead of the others and stops once the king turns his head toward them.

"You've returned." He says in an unusually calm voice. He then faces his young teenage son with a questioning look behind his facial shadow. "Lancer, why have you invited your repulsive friends to this rooftop?" Susie subtly makes a fist at that statement.

"Well father," The spade prince responds as he looks up at his face. "I know what might seem inevitable for you. And I really want you to find the strength to accept that they mean a lot to me." The king frowns lightly and faces the other three.

"Why have you guys returned?" He asks in an angry, yet calm tone. Ralsei bravely steps forward.

"We want to give you one more chance." He comments as the king's expression changes.

"Why? Why do you guys want to forgive me?" He asks as Kris smiles charmingly.

"Well, hard to believe as it may, we all have one thing in common." He points at the young blackjack. "We love Lancer." Lancer smiles cutely.

"You see? They're good people." He remarks as the older man stands up and turns toward them.

"I'm not convinced." He says as he frowns at the cyan boy. "And last time we met, you didn't want to talk to me." He says in an annoyed tone. Susie steps forward.

"Kris was a pretty silent person a few days ago." She remarks. "But that doesn't give you the right to slaughter him with a few sharp spades." The monarch chuckles and rolls his eyes.

"Apparently no one will ever get the message." He says as he withdraws the tail out of his mouth. "The lighteners are the bad guys." Susie frowns as she and Kris put their hands on their weapons, preparing for any sudden movements.

"We can all be bad guys if you'd like you know?" The purple dragon states as she glances at Lancer. "But we can all be bad together." Lancer chuckles.

"I knew you still had a little old Susie still in you." He states before turning back to his father. "But dad, they're my friends, and if you kill them, you're only hurting me more." The king glances at them for a second.

"How do I know you're innocent?" He asks as Ralsei shrugs.

"Well for starters, we put down our weapons and I healed you." Spade shrugs lightly.

"I suppose, but what about the fact that none of my servants had to endure pain while I did?" He asks. "Did you guys even hurt anyone else?" Kris smirks lightly.

"We hurt Jevil." He says before immediately glooming.

"Well, that's no surprise. Jevil deserved it." Ralsei frowns firmly upon hearing that.

"Actually sir, we fought Jevil because we knew he'd be impossible to spare willingly." He says as the king shrugs again.

"Well if you're all trapped in one jail cell, it can turn into every man for themselves." He states as Susie frowns.

"What do you mean by jail cell?" She asks. The Spade King frowns and faces her.

"You guys fought with the crazed joker after my son threw you in solitary confinement, and then used Seam's key to escape once you were done, isn't that correct?" Kris shakes his head.

"No sir, we actually didn't meet Jevil until we noticed the mystery floor on the elevator." He says as the large spade rages subtly.

"So, you guys let him out?" He asks as Lancer smiles and nods.

"Yeah! My friends released the poor suffering jester from solitary confinement shortly before they fought you." Lancer's heart stops as his father abruptly grabs him below his collarbone and holds him up. "WHOA!" He screams in fear as Kris, Susie, and Ralsei gasp loudly and withdraw their weapons.

"YOU IDIOT!" The ruthless monarch shouts loudly as he holds his son's face close to his own. Susie quickly slashes and sends a Rude Buster at him, causing him to drop Lancer. "Hey!" He shouts as Lancer attempts to levitate away, failing as the king grabs his shoulder. "You're not going anywhere!" He exclaims as he looks back up to the three glaring friends.

"You better not touch him," Susie says with a very intimidating tone. Ralsei and Kris step forward and poise themselves.

"I'd listen to her if I were you." The young human states. "You wouldn't like Susie when she's angry." The Spade King rolls his eyes and then glances back down to his son.

"Lancer, I'm going to give you one last chance to say goodbye to them." He says as the blackjack shivers frightfully.

"WHY?!" He weeps loudly while his muscles violently shiver from the fear he's under. "WHY CAN'T YOU JUST LET THEM LIVE?!" He shouts as he continues crying massively. The king squeezes his arm firmly, causing him to wince.

"Because they have done so much damage already!" He responds furiously. "They've managed to poison you with their sentimentality, they tore this kingdom's reign apart, and now I'm learning that they're solely responsible for that maniacal imp's freedom?!" He glares at them. "Jevil was to remain in prison for eternity!" Lancer tries to pull away.

"They didn't know that!" He cries as he fails to escape his father's grip. The Spade King shrugs.

"That's fine, but they did know what they were doing when they used his solid reshaped body to battle me!" Susie sighs and steps closer to him.

"Sir, I'd like to remind you that I didn't kill you when I easily could've." She sets the head of her ax on the ground and leans on it. "But here's the thing, I'm pretty glad we released Jevil." Spade snarls.

"Is that so?" He asks in a gruff tone. Susie nods and ignores his tone.

"Would you like me to tell you why?" She asks as the brutal monarch repositions himself to her level, still powerfully restraining Lancer.

"Let me guess, you're glad you had him so you could knock the wind out of me much easier. Is that correct?" He asks as she shakes her head. "Then why is that?" The reptilian teen smirks and opens her bright red eyes so that he could see them.

"Because, up until Kris and I entered this dimension, we were trapped." She states.

"Trapped?" He asks as she nods and proceeds.

"Kris and I were trapped in a boring life with people who patronize Kris and are scared of me. When we met Lancer and Ralsei, I wanted to kill them simply for my own amusement." Spade frowns.

"So you're admitting you're an evil person?" She holds her hand up to stop him.

"Yes and no. I'm admitting I **was** an evil person." She points at the two boys behind her. "But Kris is the most harmless kid you'll ever meet. His parents are wonderful people, and he gets along with everyone greatly." The king frowns.

"I fail to see where you're going with this." He says as she rolls her eyes.

"Prior to meeting Jevil, I tried hard to thrash and destroy everyone I saw. But it's because they provoked battle under your ideal policy that all lighteners be killed." He frowns as she proceeds. "When we met Jevil, he was the first person Kris and Ralsei attacked, and the last person I thought I'd attack." She states before pausing for a second. "But after fighting Jevil, he joined us." She flinches as the king stomps.

"I know!" He exclaims. "So you admit you wanted Jevil's assistance to destroy me!" She metronomes her finger savagely.

"Not at all." He lowers his temper as she proceeds. "Jevil gave me the first real challenge I actually feared I'd die from. But he ended up testing our teamwork and we managed to beat him." She smiles charmingly. "That was the end of the status quo for our team." She says as he shrugs.

"Okay, but why does Lancer matter?" He asks. "He wasn't present during the fight." Susie grins and gives a happy look to her boyfriend.

"After that, Jevil brought love to our team." The Spade King raises one of his shaded eyebrows.

"Love?" He asks as Kris and Ralsei join hands.

"He brought love to our bored and lonely soles." She states as she points back to them. "Look at those boys? Aren't they adorable?" She asks as Kris kisses Ralsei's cheek. Ralsei returns a kiss on Kris's cheek as the king shakes his head subtly.

"I'm disgusted." He mumbles. "I'll admit a friendship is kinda cute, but I seriously pity that poor goat for letting a lightener capture his heart." Susie chuckles.

"Well sir, love is a beautiful thing, and we're very thankful to Jevil for giving us love." She says as he lowers his eyebrows.

"Us?" He asks. "Who are you in love with?" He asks as Lancer raises his hand. The king sneers and holds Lancer up. "Not possible!" He shouts as Lancer frowns at him.

"Dad, Susie means every word she says." He says in a calm tone. The Spade King glares.

"I don't doubt that, but I expect more from my only son!" He says as he holds Lancer forward. "Tell Susie you're not her type." Lancer turns his head aside.

"No!" He adamantly refutes. "I won't!" He sasses as the king brings his face closer to his own.

"You will never fall in love with a lightener! I'm your father, and I forbid it!" He exclaims as Lancer frowns.

"I do love Susie, and no matter what you say to me, or threaten to do to her, I won't allow." Susie's hands shiver on the edge of her ax as she holds it up.

"Well, I suggest you put him down." She warns. Spade glares deeply at Lancer.

"Are you seriously choosing a lightener over your own father?" Lancer puts his free hand on his hip.

"Yes." He sasses, only to be amazed by his reaction.

"Then you're no son of mine!" He shouts as he throws Lancer over the edge of the castle.

"AH!" He desperately screams as Susie feels her heart shatter.

"LANCER!" She quickly dashes toward the edge of the castle to watch him land, before something nearly hits her.

"SUSIE MOVE!" Ralsei yells as he pushes her aside to avoid an oncoming barrage of spades. They graze the shaded goat's skin as the reptilian girl lands out of their range. "Ow!" Ralsei drops on his knee as the barrage goes by him. Kris quickly slashes the king in the stomach.

"ARG!" He winces and swings his tail toward the human, only for him to jump over. "You have engaged in the duel! Let's begin!" He challenges as Kris glares at him.

"You are truly a deplorable person." He says calmly as Ralsei gets up and steps closer.

"I've never had the will to hate someone before!" He exclaims as he points over the roof. "I can't believe you just killed your own son!" Spade frowns.

"I did him a favor!" He asserts. "If he continued hanging out with you lighteners he'd receive a much more painful death than he did now. You'd stab him, or burn him…" He stomps loudly. "I gave him a quick and painless death." Susie gets up and faces him, her eyes are soaking in tears, but her intense glare is more extreme than ever before.

"I never thought I'd meet a father worse than my own." She says in a tone as she chokes up on tears. "But you've seriously stepped over the line." She raises her ax as he gives a mocking look.

"Awe, if I didn't know any better, I'd think you had feelings for my son." Kris and Ralsei gasp as she swiftly swings her ax at his stomach, immediately removing his taunting smirk.

"You have no clue how much Lancer meant to me! You never will!" The Spade King frowns and swings his tail at her, grazing her stomach lightly, though she manages to avoid verbal reaction to the pain.

"Get a grip little girl. You're still young and there are plenty of other boys in the world." He says as the two boys stand by her sides.

"Not to me there isn't." She says in a stronger tone as Kris and Ralsei poise themselves. "I vow to use every ounce of strength I have to shatter your flabby body entirely." She reveals her enraged red eyes. "And then feast on your ugly face when I'm done." He chuckles.

"That's pretty unpleasant." He comments as Kris steps forward.

"No more mercy." He says. "Tonight, you will perish, and Lancer shall be avenged!" Ralsei nods.

"We will smite your toxic soul with our combined willpower and sheer determination!" He says as the king reaches into his pocket.

"Good luck losers." He flashes out Jevil's deck of wildcards. "I've got Jevil's powers!" Kris and Ralsei flinch and step back reflexively, but then they lean forward and stand their ground. Susie doesn't flinch at all.

"We beat Jevil, and we beat you." She states. "I'm not at all worried we can't defeat you even if your powers are combined." He smirks.

"You're a brave one. Just the way I like my lighteners." He raises his tail. "They're so much more satisfying to murder with that attitude!" Everyone gets in their stances as he shuffles the deck. "Let the games begin!"

* * *

Lancer slowly wakes up in a pitch-black environment. He can't see or hear anything but for some reason, his entire body feels like he's trapped inside a pillow. Everything around him is soft and smells like fresh grass.

"Where am I?" He mumbles lightly. "Am I dead?" He slowly moves his tense muscles but doesn't make a lot of progress. He sighs deeply and continues laying. "Maybe it's over for me." He says in a defeated tone. "My life is over." Tears come to his hidden eyes. "And I'll never be able to see my beloved Susie again." He weeps for a few seconds. "But she's probably going to die anyways now." He begins sobbing louder as he feels something grab his arm. "Huh?" He questions in confusion. "Whoa!" The hand pulls him out and he's back in the yard beside the castle.

"Are you okay young cousin?" Lancer's eyes widen massively.

"Jevil!" He exclaims as the youthful joker hugs him. "What happened?!" Jevil sets him on the ground and points to a thick bed of clover.

"I saved your life!" He says cheerfully. Lancer gives him a confused look.

"I don't get it. How?" He asks as the jester pulls out a club card.

"I saw you falling from the castle and noticed you were about to land in the really deep hole I had the servants dig." He levitates above the fresh four leaves. "So I played the graceful clover garden card inside the hole and the tall thick garden broke your fall." Lancer begins crying a waterfall.

"Oh my god, that was so SCARY!" He sobs loudly as Jevil floats closer and pats him on the back. "Thank you so much!" He says thankfully in a loud voice as he continues crying. The joker hugs him softly.

"Don't cry Lancer. You're safe now." Jevil says in a comforting tone. Lancer looks up at him.

"I can't stop crying. Not now knowing that Kris, Ralsei, and Susie are about to be killed by my mean-spirited father!" Jevil sighs and squats to match his head level.

"Lancer, I'm extremely sorry, but I must ask you one more time." The blackjack halts his tears and looks into his eyes. "Do I have permission to kill your father?" Lancer sniffles and nods.

"Okay, but please, please make sure my friends make it out alive!" Jevil gives him a serious look.

"You have my word Lancer. I won't let him kill them." He says as he looks up the tall building. "But I'll never make it in time…" He gets an idea. "Lancer, can I borrow your bike?" The spade boy overcomes his tears and nods.

"I'd be insulted if you didn't." He gives him a brave prayerful look. "Please hurry." Jevil nods.

"I promise I won't let you down." He says as he runs into the castle. He gets on Lancer's newly inflated tiers and revs it up. "Now's the time for my real revenge!"

* * *

Meanwhile, at the top, the three allies struggle to maintain their strength against the mighty ruler's power. Kris breathes heavily as he faces his friends.

"How are you guys feeling?" He asks as Ralsei's legs shake lightly.

"This is very overwhelming." He says in an exhausted tone. Susie glares at the blue monarch.

"This is unbelievable!" She complains. "You're cheating beyond belief!" The king chuckles and shrugs.

"Why are you guys complaining? I haven't hit you very many times yet." He states as Kris raises his sword, the weight of the sword feels heavier each time he exhales.

"We've been dodging everything to the best of our ability. It's very exhausting." He admits as the Spade King chuckles.

"You children are so wimpy. I'm standing here letting you hit me all you want." He points at Ralsei. "And I haven't needed to heal once you little spineless mage." Ralsei glares.

"It's so pitiful that you can't come close to beating us without Jevil's powers." The King smirks darkly.

"Is that a challenge? How about I go back to pure spades?" He says as a circle of spades surrounds Ralsei. "Have fun!" Ralsei gasps as the ring-around hovers closer to him.

"Whoa!" He runs around in a circle to avoid the first ring, and the second one right after. As he begins avoiding the third ring, the spades flip over in his track, slicing him in multiple spots. "Ow! Ah!" Kris gasps as the remaining spades all close in on the shaded goat.

"RALSEI!" The cyan boy screams fearfully as the gentle creature exhales.

"Ow." He mumbles before stumbling on his legs and falling motionless on the floor. Kris glares as Susie speaks up.

"You just cheated on that move!" She exclaims as he shrugs.

"I don't need to play by the rules." He mocks. "Jevil may treat fighting like a game, but I treat all fights like a war, and in war, all is fair." Kris and Susie charge at him together. Their weapons graze the lips on his stomach as he winces quietly. "Okay, my turn." He says as Kris steps back. "OW!" He exclaims before he clashes his tail against Susie's ax. "I said my turn!" Susie forcefully weighs down his tail.

"If you're not playing by the rules, I'm not going to either!" She shouts as a few diamonds appear below her feet.

"Susie! Move!" Kris shouts as Susie steps back. She backs into a very thick club as it slams against her bones.

"OW!" The force pushes her forward and the diamonds begin painfully shredding her frontal body and arms. "Ah!" She holds still and tenses up to endure the searing pain. Kris runs forward with fear.

"SUSIE! GET AWAY FROM HIM!" He screams as another heavy barrage of spades fly through and graze her painfully. Kris's arm gets cut as well. "OW!" The human's eyes begin producing tears as he drops his sword and squeezes his painfully aching arm. "Susie?" He desperately asks as the soundless dragon lies on the floor. A shallow pool of blood begins soaking the area around her as the king laughs.

"Ha, ha, ha!" He grabs the motionless dragon and throws her against the wall next to Ralsei. The suffering human looks up and sees his eye through his facial shadow.

"Sir, please. We surrender." Kris states as the Spade King smirks darkly.

"Is that so?" He asks as Kris steps back away from his sword.

"Please your majesty, I really don't want to continue fighting." He says as Spade surprisingly stays put as he moves further and further away.

"You're a very brave boy for a lightener." He says as he points behind himself. "And so, I'm willing to grant you mercy." Kris flinches and raises an eyebrow.

"Mercy? You?" The king nods and continues pointing behind himself.

"I sympathize for a young lad that is trapped in an environment full of people in opposition to yourself." He sighs. "I was that one darkener once." Kris sighs in relief.

"You're letting me go?" He asks as the king nods.

"Yes, the fountain is that way. If you leave now, I'm sure I can undo whatever damage might be caused." He lowers his hand and grabs his tail. "But please leave immediately." He insists as the cyan boy smiles lightly.

"Oh, thank you very much." He says as he grabs Ralsei by the arm. A lone diamond hits him in the shoulder. "Ouch!" He faces the monarch and frowns. "What was that for?!" He asks as the king begins frowning.

"I said **you** may go. But the other lightener and traitorous darkener are going to stay and receive their punishment for their betrayal!" He steps forward as Kris shivers a few times in fear. "Unless you'd rather die with them." He says as Kris begins sweating. "What'll it be?" The young lad glances at his greatly injured boyfriend and then turns to his badly hurt classmate. He pauses for a few seconds as the king summons three spades on both sides of him. "You're quiet again." He says in an angered tone. "You know people like that bother me right?" Kris glares deeply into his eyes.

"I will not abandon my friends no matter what!" He asserts as the spades close in on him, cutting both sides of his body. "Ouch!" He kneels in pain as the king summons three spades above all three of them.

"Pitiful lightener." He darkly says. "You could've accepted my mercy, but you couldn't agree to my standards." The spades raise slightly to build momentum. "Say goodbye." Just as the spades are lowered, an even bigger horizontal spade appears above the lighteners to block the small ones. "What the hell?!" The king exclaims as a fast-moving object charges toward him.

"SPADE SHIELD!" The joker exclaims as he hops the bike over the solid shovel tip and powerfully crashes into the Spade King's face.

"OUCH!" He immediately falls backwards, but catches himself with his arms. Kris's eyes widen at the sight of the person on the bike.

"Jevil!" He exclaims with excitement as the joker spins around and slams into the king's back.

"AGH!" He falls forward as the courageous jester backflips off the seat and lands in front of the lighteners.

"Are you okay my human friend?" He asks as the cyan boy begins crying lightly, smiling in the process.

"You're back." He weakly says as the joker humbly shrugs. "And you're young again."

"I've been freed from my elderly curse. I feel stronger than ever before." He says as the king gets back on his feet.

"How'd you undo my curse?!" He shouts as Jevil smirks savagely and turns toward him.

"Well Uncle Spade, I'm afraid the spirit of fun has canceled out the effect of the immortality dispel." He states as he pulls out a large air horn. "Now back away from my teammates!" He presses the button and the screeching sound produces a powerful shockwave.

"AGH!" The king slams his hands against the sides of his head as the air within the horn pushes him backwards. Jevil takes his finger off the top and levitates closer.

"What did you think of that Uncle Spade?" He asks as the king angrily grips his left leg.

"Alright! That's it! You're going to-"

"Oh, do you like my flower?" He interrupts as he holds a water flower on his shirt forward.

"What?" The king asks in confusion as a clear liquid squirts out of it and lands on his face. It begins burning his eyes massively. "AH!" He screams in agony as he lets go of Jevil and aids his eyes. "WHAT IS THAT STUFF?!" Jevil shrugs.

"It's holy water." He says as the king stands straight and glares. "You're so much fun to prank." He says with an amused look on his face as the king summons a few hearts.

"You want to brawl?!" He asks in fury as Jevil nods.

"Oh, I'd be so glad to." He says before holding his finger up. "But first, you need to promise me one thing." The Spade King shrugs. "Promise me you won't hurt the lighteners anymore until I'm dead." He insists as the king chuckles.

"Yeah, let's shake on it." He holds his left arm out and holds his right one behind his back.

"Good, agreed!" Just as the ruthless monarch is about to cross his fingers, he feels an electrical current flow through his body.

"YOW!" His right arm flies out and retracts his left arm. Jevil giggles repeatedly as the king glares at the buzzer on his hand.

"Gotcha again!" He celebrates as the king sighs in fury. "And this time you didn't cross your fingers." The king stomps.

"I was going to!" He exclaims as the jester savagely metronomes his finger.

"Well, you didn't get to this time." He says as he opens his eyes. "So this time, you can't break that promise." Spade grabs his sharp tail and poises.

"And what will you do about it if I don't stick to that promise?" He asks as the air horn goes off again. "AH!" He shoves his hands to his head to block the sound as Jevil smirks and stops.

"Let the games begin." The king glares and summons a few spades behind him.

"That's it! TAKE THIS!" The spades fly toward Jevil, only for him to teleport and the spades strike the monarch in the chest. "OW!" He exclaims as Jevil teleports behind him.

"You want to backstab me, then I'll frontstab you!" He continues laughing in an annoying pitch as the king swings his tail around.

"You and your stupid comedy props!" He exclaims as Jevil ducks under the tail. "Hold still!" He keeps ducking as the sturdy tail keeps missing him. The king stops for a second as Jevil teleports in front of him.

"Oh, are we playing limbo? I love that game!" He exclaims as he grabs a thick expandable wooden baton out of his pocket.

"We're not playing- OW!" Jevil rams forward and bonks the top of his head with the sideways poll, causing him to growl in anger.

"Oops, you failed miserably. You probably would've done better if you could tilt back on that out of shape pile of fat you call your body." The king grabs Jevil by the arm and slams him against the ground. "AI!" The joker exclaims as he stares at the king.

"You're done for, now Jevil!" He exclaims as he slams the top of his tail over Jevil's head.

"YOWIE!" He exclaims as his head springs around. He gathers his strength and grabs a bottle out of his pocket. "There's a real surprise. Just like this." He holds the bottle in front of the king's eyes and **BOOM!**

"AH!" The ruthless monarch lets go and steps back as a bunch of small paper shreds of rainbow colors float around him. "What the hell was that?!" Jevil chuckles.

"Confetti in a bottle." He states. "It's got a bit of a kick to it." The king throws his tail forward and it latches onto Jevil. "What's this?" He asks as he fails to teleport. The Spade King gives him a sinister grin as countless projectiles of all suits appear all around him.

"You're trapped! And now I'm going to strike you with all my powers at once!" The projectiles home in quickly before a loud, slow sound going from high to low pitch is played. "What the hell is that?!" The king asks as the projectiles slow down drastically until their formerly straight pattern is staggered to the point they hover around Jevil, missing him entirely. Jevil takes the comedic flute out of his mouth.

"It's a slide whistle." He states as he looks around. "As the pitch gets lower, your weapons get slower!" All the projectiles straighten out as the king pulls Jevil closer with his tail. He aims all the projectiles toward him.

"This time you won't be able to dodge them." He says as the joker smiles menacingly.

"Aw, you're so saintly." He puts a hand to his flower. "How about some more holy water?" He asks as the flower shoots another wave of agonizing water into his eyes.

"AH!" Jevil leans backwards and ducks as the projectiles fly past him and slash the king in so many places. "Ah! Ow! Yah!" The joker unlatches himself and plays the slide whistle again, the projectiles speed up and continue striking the king. "GAH!" He exclaims in agony as Jevil grabs his baton.

"Gotcha!" He teleports closer and slams the heavy object on top of his head.

"OIY! Ah." The king falls on his back, causing a loud thud on the floor. Jevil smirks and retracts the wildcards out of the king's pocket.

"I'll be taking back what's rightfully mine now." He says as he glances back to the lighteners. Kris finally gathers the strength to stand up straight. He smiles proudly as the jester levitates toward him.

"Good job Jevil." He says proudly as Jevil glances at Susie and Ralsei.

"Are they alright?" He asks as the handsome lad nods.

"I think so." The Joker smiles and faces him.

"And are **you** alright Kris?" The human puts his hand on Jevil's shoulder.

"Yes, thank you for checking." He says as Jevil puts a hand to his heart.

"No problem, now please allow me to soothe your wounds." His body begins glowing brightly before an unexpected barrage of spades strikes them both.

"OW!" Both yell as Kris falls on his knees. Jevil quickly turns around to see a large spade clash against his face.

"OW!" His head bobbles around as the king pulls his tail back like a fishing rod, pulling the helpless joker with it. "WHOA!" Jevil shivers nervously as the Spade King's huge hands completely immobilize his arms. "Oh no." He mumbles as the ruthless monarch turns around and holds him on the ground.

"You should've never come back, you idiot." He says in a tough tone as he raises his fist. "Now suffer!" He firmly punches the Joker's face.

"OW!" Jevil feels the back of his head hit the floor as the king raises his fist again.

"SUFFER!" He slams the vulnerable jester again, fracturing his cheekbones.

"OW!" Jevil's jaw begins bleeding and his eyes water as the king strikes him again. "OW!" The angry monarch lifts him up and throws him against the wall. His back crashes against the solid tower's rock. "AH!" He descends to the ground and flops forward. "Ow." He weakly mumbles as he lightly lifts his head up to see the king walk back toward the defenseless lighteners.

"No," Kris mumbles hopelessly as the king lifts him up and summons three poised spades above his head.

"Let's finish this quickly. Shall we." He asks as the joker quickly summons a circle of hearts and launches them at him. "Ah!" The king turns around with the human in his arms as a thick red Devil's Knife hurls toward his body. "Oh dammit!" He exclaims as the knife pushes against him and knocks him forward. "Whoa!" He stumbles around to try balancing over the edge of the castle.

"Let me go!" Kris pleads as he struggles to escape his firm grip.

"Never! If I go down, you're coming with me!" Jevil teleports in front of him and points the lid of another loaded party popper toward him.

"Time to go out with a bang!" He mercilessly flips the top off. **BOOM!** Confetti bursts toward the two and the king loses his balance!

"AAAAHHHH!" They both scream as they fall. The king holds Kris forward and prepares to land him on the bottom. The boy quickly glooms at him as the king glares.

"You'll crash first! Pitiful lightener!" As Kris closes his eyes to abandon all hope, something goes off.

 **HOOONNNKKKK!**

"AH!" Spade lets go of Kris and aids his ears. "Huh? AH!" He fails to grab the young lad as they both continue falling. "Hm?" Spade smirks once he spots the garden of thick clovers he's about to land in. "Ha." He closes his eyes and waits patiently to land, only for Jevil to teleport next to the garden.

"DIAMOND BLADE!" Three thick diamonds grow out of the ground and the solid tips pierce the Spade King's back.

"OH!" He holds his breath and bides the pain. Kris closes his eyes and braces for impact...

"Gotcha!" Jevil exclaims as he successfully catches the human boy in his arms. Kris takes a deep breath and sighs in relief.

"YGAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Spade painfully releases a loud agonizing scream as Jevil levitates closer, Kris still in his arms. The suffering ruler turns his head to face the jester as tears forcibly fall out of his eyes.

"I have won." Jevil mumbles with a disappointed frown on his face. "This is all your fault." The king glares and coughs as his blood slides down the shiny crystals.

"My fault?" He asks as Jevil nods.

"Indeed. You let your hatred for lighteners lead to the sudden end to so many innocent lives." He says as he sheds a tear. "And you killed my best friend." The king's breathing gets heavier to the point every breath he takes, he yawns.

"I needed to avenge my family under any means necessary." Jevil shakes his head.

"Killing everyone potentially affiliated isn't necessary. You let the hatred you had guide you to so much genocide." Kris sheds a couple tears himself as Jevil lightly hugs him. "But this lightener, Kris Dreemurr, is my friend." He pauses and frowns, not angry, but disappointed. "And today, the harm you brought to him, is the very reason you're where you're at now." He closes his eyes. "Goodbye Uncle Spade." He turns around and begins descending to the ground. The king stops breathing the second they're back on the grass.

"Thank you very much for saving me Jevil," Kris says as the jester sets him back on his feet. He has an unusual gloom on his face.

"No Kris, I'm the one who needs to thank you." He says as he puts his arm to the young lad's right shoulder. "Thanks for hanging in there as long as you could." He says with a higher level of sincerity than he's ever used before. "I'm so grateful you're alive." Kris smiles and hugs the joker.

"I wouldn't be alive right now if you hadn't come back for us." He says as Jevil hugs him back, tears streaming down his face. "Why'd you do it?" He asks as the joker sniffles and looks into his eyes.

"I lost my best friend today." He says as he hiccups once. "I wanted to kill myself to join him, and he told me something serious."

"What did he tell you?" The cyan boy asks as Jevil smiles coyly, tears still streaming, though slower.

"Well, he said it's not my time yet." Jevil answers. "And I thought, it's not your time yet either." Kris smiles lightly but glooms as the young spade prince levitates to them with tears in his face.

"Lancer?" The human asks as Jevil lets go and turns around. He gasps when he sees the look on the sad blackjack's face.

"I'm so sorry." The Joker says as Lancer stares at his father's impaled corpse.

"He's gone." He says in an emotionless tone. "I'm now an orphan." Kris steps up and hugs the spade boy.

"It's okay." He whispers reassuringly before pausing. "Wait, you don't like hugs, do you?" He asks as Lancer hugs the handsome teen back.

"Please don't let go yet." He continues crying as Kris squeezes him lightly.

"It's alright Lancer." He whispers as they both cry together. "Don't cry. You're okay." They both cry for a few seconds before Lancer finally stops and regains his breath.

"Okay, I'm done moping." He says as Kris lets go of him. He then faces his older cousin. "Is Susie okay?" Jevil smiles lightly.

"Susie and Ralsei are both still alive." He says. "I'll go get them." He teleports to the top, grabs Ralsei, and then teleports back down. He then does the same for Susie. Both injured friends lightly raise their heads and breath audibly.

"Kris?" Ralsei mumbles weakly.

"Lancer?" Susie says in an equally weak tone. She tries to get up but fails to support her body. "You're alive?" Lancer smiles and wraps his arms around her back.

"I'm alive." He says as he continues crying subtly. "I'm so relieved to see you're alive too." Susie manages to wrap her arms around him as well.

"How'd you survive your terrible fall?" She asks as Lancer points to the jester.

"Jevil saved my life." Kris smiles and steps forward.

"He saved all of us." He says as he helps Ralsei stand up. Ralsei taps his glasses and stares at Jevil.

"Wait, Jevil? You look young again." The joker smirks.

"I feel young again." He admits as he levitates closer. "I hope that's alright." The shaded goat smiles cutely and nods.

"Of course, it's alright." He says as Susie gives him a questioning look.

"How'd you do it?" Jevil smiles and shrugs.

"Well, I had fun." He says as she raises an eyebrow.

"Fun is the key to your eternal youth?" He nods.

"It is." He glances toward the Spade King's corpse. "And I let that lead me to win this battle." He then faces the four heroes. "But more importantly, I needed to be there to save you." Susie smiles, Lancer stops crying and smiles with her, as do Ralsei and Kris.

"You cared about us?" Ralsei asks as Jevil smiles innocently and sincerely.

"I love you guys." He says as he glances at the Miraculous Heartthrob card he'd recently used. "More so than any amount of artificial love could ever provide." He sets the card back in his pocket and faces them again. "You guys are my new friends, and I knew that if I was going down, I needed to do everything I could to protect you." Kris steps forward and puts his hand on his shoulder.

"You're a really sweet person Jevil. How'd you ever find the will to fight for us the way you did?" The jester chuckles.

"I can do anything." He says as he begins glowing. "So now, please let me use my abilities to heal you guys." He puts his right hand to his heart and his left one on Kris's shoulder. The cyan boy smiles charmingly as all his pain goes away.

"Thanks, Jevil." He says as the joker stops and makes eye contact with him, his face shows no signs of aging the way it had before.

"You're very welcome good sir." He says as he levitates up to Susie. "Your turn young lady." The reptilian teen smiles passionately as the joker repeats the process on her. All her inner strength returns to her body as he stops glowing and gives her a happy look. "How do you feel?" Susie brushes her hair aside so he can see her eyes.

"Better than ever." She answers. "Thank you." Jevil nods and then faces the shaded goat.

"Well Ralsei, would you like me to soothe your injuries?" Ralsei smiles cutely.

"I would, but I'm worried. Do you feel like you're aging?" Jevil smiles and shakes his head.

"I will admit I'm getting kinda tired, but I still feel like a young, twenty-five-year-old man." He puts his hand to his heart and glows brightly. Ralsei's cuts close and his pulse regains it's healthy pace. Jevil opens his eyes and looks into the goat's cute eyes. "Do you feel better now?" He asks as Ralsei nods happily.

"I feel much better now, thank you." He passionately responds. Jevil yawns and rubs his eyes.

"I'm pretty tired now. I had an exciting day." He faces Lancer. "Is the master bedroom available?" Lancer turns toward him.

"Huh? Oh yeah." He regains his focus. "The soft bed is all yours tonight." Jevil nods proudly.

"Thanks Lancer. I'll see you all tomorrow morning." He says as he enters the castle. Ralsei looks at the dark sky.

"It's almost eleven o'clock. We should all go to bed." He says as Kris nods in agreement.

"I guess all four of us should share the other bedroom." He says as Susie faces her boyfriend.

"Hey Lancer, what were you just looking at?" The spade boy points at his father's corpse.

"My hateful dad." He says in a melancholy tone. "I just don't know what I'm going to do now." He admits as the purple dragon warmly hugs him and lifts him up.

"Aw, sweetie. I'll give you all the love your dad should've provided, I promise." She kisses him on the cheek, causing him to blush lightly.

"Thanks, honey." He responds upon giggling twice. "But still, what am I supposed to do now?" He asks as Kris faces the dark prince.

"Ralsei, how much longer until the calamity occurs?" He asks as Ralsei smiles lightly.

"Well without the Spade King, we've got a couple extra weeks before the end of the world. That tyrant's death bought us quite a bit of extra time." Kris smirks.

"I've got an idea."

* * *

 **Author's Note: And, the chapter you were all waiting for, is complete. I expected this story to take a little longer, but I think I can end this one in only one more chapter. Until then, have a nice day!**


	14. Kris's Grand Decision

Kris's Grand Decision

 **Author's Note: Well, here you are. The final chapter to this fairly good story. All good things must come to an end eventually, and so I ask you to read and try to enjoy the last chapter to Jevil's Revenge.**

* * *

Jevil had a great sleep, one greater than he's used to. He wakes up to the light tapping sound behind the bedroom door.

"Who is it?" He asks in a happy tone.

"It's Ralsei." The dark prince answers. "Can I please come in?" The joker smiles and nods.

"By all means." He responds as the shaded goat opens the door and enters the room. "So, what brings you here?" He asks.

"Lancer is about to make a couple of announcements to the entire kingdom. He wants you to be there more so than anyone else." The jester raises an eyebrow slightly.

"Are you sure?" Ralsei nods. "Why me of all people?" He asks as he climbs out of bed.

"I kinda don't want to tell you. Lancer will cover everything." He says while chuckling lightly. Jevil frowns lightly.

"Is he saying anything insulting?" Ralsei smiles and shakes his head.

"Of course not. He told me everything ahead of time. I know you'll be happy when it's over." Jevil sighs and smiles coyly.

"Alright. I'll take your word for it." He says as Ralsei holds the door open for him. He pauses and faces the shaded goat with an uncertain look. "Hey, Ralsei…" He begins to say.

"Yeah Jevil?" He answers passionately. Jevil struggles to make eye contact but fights it.

"I wanted to say I'm really sorry for shooting you with that arrow." He looks away and doesn't notice Ralsei's forgiving smile. "I shouldn't have let my anger towards the Spade King get the better of me." Ralsei chuckles and holds his hand out in reassurance.

"Don't worry about it. I'm cool with it." He says kindly as they step out of the room. Jevil sighs lightly.

"Thank you, but… what do you think Susie will say about- whoa!" The purple dragon suddenly grabs him from behind and pulls him in.

"Apology accepted!" She exclaims in an excitable tone. She then grabs his hat and hands it to Ralsei.

"Hey, that's my hat!" Jevil whines as Ralsei takes it.

"He's just going to hold onto it while I noogie your bald head!" The jester squirms around as the reptilian teen begins roughly grazing the top of his head with her fist.

"AIE!" Jevil exclaims as he kicks around rapidly. "METAMORPHOSIS!" Susie stops as his body shapeshifts into the Devil's knife. She chuckles for a couple seconds.

"Oh come on, I was just having some fun." She states as the joker transforms back and grabs his hat from the dark prince.

"Okay, I get it. But your hands are pretty damn big you know?" Susie shrugs.

"Wanna call it even now?" She asks as Jevil smirks lightly and chuckles.

"Alright. We're even." He turns to Ralsei. "Now where's Lancer?" He asks as Ralsei leads the way.

"Follow me." He says.

* * *

A couple of minutes later they're in the throne room and spot Kris in the front of the crowd. In front of him is Lancer standing on top of the throne with Rouxls Kaard on his left and K. Round on his right. Once the guards and servants spot the three heroes, they move over to allow them to reach Kris. The handsome lad smiles and grabs Ralsei's hand once they reach him.

"Did you guys sleep well?" He asks as Ralsei nods.

"I slept very well." He responds as Susie gives him a thumbs up.

"So did I." She remarks. "Lancer and I slept on the floor and he let me use his squishy body as a pillow. It was so cozy." She says in a relaxed tone as the human faces the jester.

"I've never slept better in my life." Jevil responds as he looks up at the spade prince. Lancer smiles back down at him for a second, and then begins speaking.

"Great, it looks like everyone in the kingdom is here now." He begins. "I want to give everyone a great thanks." He holds his hand out toward the crowd. "All of you have kept your promise not to touch my father no matter what the consequences were, and on behalf of the pain many of you endured, I thank you for sticking to that promise." The audience applauds loudly.

"WHOO!" A few members exclaim as the fun gang claps quietly. Jevil sighs lightly and nudges Kris's shoulder.

"Where does that leave me?" He asks as Kris shrugs.

"I'm not sure, let's wait and see." The audience slows down until they're finally done. Lancer proceeds and points to the dark blue duke.

"Another thank you to Lesser Dad for protecting many of you last night." Rouxls smiles proudly and bows.

"It was my pleasure to keep all of you guys as safe as I could." He remarks as Lancer faces the audience.

"Let's give him a big hand!" The audience claps again rapidly. Jevil taps Ralsei's shoulder.

"Do you think I could've done that too?" Ralsei chuckles.

"You were too busy protecting us for that." He reminds as the joker smiles coyly.

"I suppose I was." The applause fades as Lancer points to the giant checker king.

"Another big thanks to our new king K. Round." He states. "This marvelous checker took down an alleged assassin yesterday morning in defense of me, and my three closest friends. If it wasn't for his almond milk and his strong muscles, we would've all died. So thanks K. Round!" The checker king bows politely to the crowd as the applause kicks in again.

"YEAH!" A Rudinn Ranger shouts.

"WE LOVE OUR KING!" A Head Hathy exclaims. Jevil pokes Susie on the side, getting her attention.

"Do you think I should let K. Round keep my hat?" He asks as she shakes her head.

"I really don't think he could handle the chaos." She states as he puts it back on his head. "Plus, it looks much better on you."

"Ah, well thank you." The jester humbly says as the audience stops applauding. Lancer holds his arm out towards them.

"Bust most importantly, I want to thank my closest friends in the front. Will you guys please step a little closer and show yourselves?" Kris, Ralsei, and Susie step forward while the audience applauds again. Kris bows at them, Ralsei waves, and Susie just smiles and stands proudly. Once the audience is done, the spade boy points at Jevil and folds his finger toward him. "Jevil, that includes you."

"Okay." The joker says as he levitates forward, no one applauds for him, but they don't boo or give him disappointing expressions either. "What did you want to say?" He asks as Lancer shrugs.

"I want to share a few details with the entire kingdom." He looks up and faces the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, Kris!" He exclaims as he points to the cyan boy. There's more applause as the human chuckles lightly.

"Thanks everyone, you're much too kind." He says subtly as they stop and Lancer proceeds.

"This boy is stronger than any other boy I've ever met." He begins. "Kris is very brave and he never ever gives up on anyone no matter how dangerous the situation may be. He's been such a good friend and he'll forever be one of my biggest and grandest inspirations." Kris smiles proudly as Lancer nods to him once. "Let's give him a hand everybody!" The audience cheers slightly louder this time.

"ALRIGHT KRIS!" A Rudinn shouts.

"HE'S SO CUTE!" A Hathy exclaims as Kris blushes and bows once again. Lancer then points to the shaded goat.

"And now, Ralsei." He remarks. "Ralsei is the purest person I've ever known. And I have had my share of bullying towards this young goat," He admits in a slightly sad tone. "But nonetheless, Ralsei was far too forgiving about it." He says as Ralsei blushes lightly. "And not only is he a sweet little pumpkin around me, but he and Kris may be the hottest couple I've ever come to witness, and I'm completely straight. So I'd like to thank these close friends and strong lovers for guiding me through my evil ways, and showing me the path of light." The shaded goat smiles and blushes as the audience goes nuts.

"WE LOVE YOU RALSEI!" Someone shouts as the clapping proceeds.

"Thank you, Lancer." He responds passionately as Lancer nods in response to his thanks. He then points to Susie as the applause fades.

"Ladies and gentle cards, this is my beautiful princess Susie." He states.

"OOH!" The servants and guards collectively react upon hearing that. Susie blushes and steps up beside Lancer.

"This beautiful and extremely strong dragon is the closest friend I'll ever be fortunate enough to say I have." He begins. "Only recently did I learn she had fallen in love with me and I didn't realize the potential we held." He pauses for a second and nearly tears up. "A few days ago, we got into a fight regarding my seeming betrayal of this team, and she nearly knocked the life out of me." Susie glooms as the audience sighs in sadness.

"I'll never forgive myself for that one." She subtly says before he continues.

"However, the one blow that decided my fate, she intentionally missed." He says as a tear streams out of his facial shadow. "And I know that when I had to battle for my life a couple of nights ago, I wouldn't have made it without the undying flame Susie had ignited within me the first time we met." Susie smiles suddenly and hugs him lightly.

"Awe!" The audience coos as Lancer faces her, blushing lightly.

"Susie, you are my one true friend." He says as she squeezes him lightly. "The love you once showed me, is what shaped my spirit out so well. And I'll never be able to thank you enough for guiding me down this path." The purple dragon sniffles once.

"Oh Lancer." She whispers. "It was you who made me a better person. I cannot ever accurately state how sorry I am for that fight, and I'm so thankful you're still alive." The blackjack kisses her on the cheek.

"It's alright Susie. I love you." He remarks.

"Awe." The audience coos as Susie ends their long hug. Lancer faces the jester.

"And finally, I'd like to thank one more particular person. Jevil, please come up here." The joker levitates forward and then faces the crowd.

"Salutations amigos." He says nervously, feeling shocked by the number of smiles he's receiving. Lancer proceeds.

"Ladies and gentle cards. Jevil is the guy, who made everything possible." He states. "Though he killed my father yesterday, he is the only reason everyone else is still alive and breathing today."

"WHOO!" The audience cheers and claps for a few seconds as Jevil begins smiling. Lancer continues once they're done.

"Jevil is the only person who wanted my father dead from the start." He pauses and glooms. "And boy was I wrong not to trust him." Jevil's expression changes.

"Look, Lancer, it's not your fault." He reassures as the spade boy continues with the crowd.

"Every antic this jester has made, lead to pain for one person, but ultimately, the greater good for everyone." He states as the joker flinches. "He shot Ralsei and Susie with cupid's arrows, causing them to fall in love with Kris and me." Jevil begins sweating.

"I really don't-"

"And he had you all dig that hole." The blackjack interrupts, causing the jester to facepalm. "Not to mention he nearly murdered me when there were no witnesses around." Jevil summons a Devil's Knife and slams the wall in frustration.

"Okay stop!" He exclaims, causing everyone to face him. "I screwed up big time! I know! And I'm really, really, sorry!" He says before tears make their way to his eyes. "Can we all just let that part slide and move on?!" Lancer smirks lightly.

"Jevil, I'm not done yet. Can you please hear me out?" Jevil wipes his eyes and shrugs.

"I suppose, but please try not to make it so painful." He requests. Lancer smiles and nods then faces the crowd.

"However, the love he put on Ralsei and Susie, brought our entire team closer together." Jevil flinches and his tears stop. "The hole he forced you to dig, allowed him to place a clover bed deep enough to break my fall." Jevil begins smiling coyly. "The battle we had showed me, and many others, my truest potential." Jevil sheds another tear, this one is joyful. "And for a moment when our team was damaged presumably beyond repair, Jevil consumed some of his own life energy to heal all our injuries." He states as the joker levitates toward him slowly, all the servants and guards smile contently.

"Lancer…" Jevil says subtly as Kris, Susie, and Ralsei smile at him. Rouxls Kaard and K. Round do the same. "You're not mad at me for any of this?" The blackjack shakes his head.

"None of us have any reason to be angry." He says. "You've done so many things that seemed irredeemable at the time, but the ending result has reshaped all of us." He turns away for a second. "And though you did end up killing my father…" He turns back to him and smiles sincerely. "You didn't do it out of hatred for him, you did it to save us." Jevil smiles meekly as he faces the crowd. "Thank you very much for risking your life for us." Lancer says.

"WHOOOOO!" The crowd begins applauding louder than ever. "JEVIL! JEVIL! JEVIL!" They all begin chanting his name as he bows respectfully. Lancer then pats him on the shoulder.

"Is there anything else you'd like to declare?" Jevil nods.

"If I may, I will." The audience quiets down as he levitates a little higher so the entire kingdom can see him. "I want to say thank you to everyone." He states as Kris sheds a proud tear. "All of you put up with my mischievous shenanigans for the past few days, and though most of it was to oppose me, I'm grateful I had a little resilience out of the servants and soldiers. It just goes to show you how loyal the entire kingdom is!"

"WHOO!" The audience begins clapping again as Jevil shakes his head.

"COME ON! IS THAT HOW YOU GUYS RESPOND?! LET'S GET LOUD!"

"WHOOOOOO!" Everyone cheers as loud as they can as Jevil smiles and bows again.

"THAT'S THE SPIRIT!" He shouts as the crowd cheers for about thirty more seconds. Jevil finally sighs and descends to the floor. "And with that, I bid you ado. I'm off to join my four closest friends on their long odyssey before them." He says as he steps back toward them. Kris pats him on the shoulder.

"Great job Jevil." He proudly says as the jester shrugs.

"I couldn't have done that any better." He says as Lancer steps back onto the throne.

"Well, we must say goodbye for now, because we're off to the adventure that will decide the fate of the universe, and so," K. Round takes a step further. "I, Prince Lancer, am ready to fully resign my throne to our new king, K. Round." The audience claps as the checker king bows and sits on the throne. The five friends wave as they walk out.

"Goodbye, my metaphorical son," Rouxls says with a tear in his eye.

"Bye Lesser Dad! Take care!" Lancer exclaims as they exit the room.

They finally reach the fountain and Ralsei sighs.

"I'm not sure us darkeners are able to use this fountain." He says in a sad tone. Susie shakes her head.

"Kris and I did it once, and I'm sure it's nothing more than walking through the fountain." She says as Lancer faces the cyan boy.

"Kris, I'm leaving this choice up to you." He says as the handsome lad shrugs.

"What exactly am I choosing?" He asks as Jevil stares at the mist.

"I think I know." He begins. "If we take this fountain now, we may not be able to come back for a while." Susie shrugs.

"Kris and I were able to come back the next day. Are you saying this portal will turn off?" She asks as Ralsei nods.

"I mean, we still have plenty of time before the world comes to an end, but if we leave now, the fountain is going to weaken for a little while and it'll take some time to recharge the energy needed for the portal." The shaded goat explains as Lancer frowns.

"Does that only apply to darkeners?" He asks as Ralsei shakes his head.

"It applies to both, but darkeners absorb amounts of the dark aura and so some of that energy won't recirculate." Susie sighs and faces Kris.

"Well Kris, I don't really want to go back anyway. But you're the boss. What should we do?" The cyan boy sighs and thinks critically.

"Okay, so we have roughly a month to save the world, but if not, we're still safe on our half of the planet anyways, correct?" Ralsei shrugs.

"Safe for a much longer time, but still potentially vulnerable as well." Kris glances at Lancer.

"So if either you or Lancer enters the portal, the fountain will grow weaker."

"Correct." The spade boy remarks. Kris looks beyond the castle.

"But if we don't go back home now, our parents will worry about us, and we'll get an F on our project." Susie chuckles.

"School's the least of my worries at this point." She remarks as Kris faces Ralsei.

"What do you think we should do?" Ralsei shrugs.

"I would love to meet your mother, but isn't the fate of this world the priority?" He asks. Lancer shakes his head.

"I disagree. This world may be filled with darkness, but without my dad ruining the balance any further, this place is in better hands than it could've been in."

"Even though the new ruler has no hands," Susie remarks. Kris turns to the side.

"Jevil, what about you? … Jevil?" He turns back to the fountain to see Jevil standing in the middle of it. "JEVIL!"

"This feels good!" He exclaims as his light and dark aura glows.

"Get out of there!" Kris exclaims. "You're wasting the energy!" Ralsei grabs his boyfriend's shoulder and points at the fountain.

"Wait!" They all stare as the fountain continues to spout darkness while he stands there. "The fountain isn't losing any energy." He says as Susie frowns.

"But how is that possible? Aren't you a darkener too?" She asks the joker. Jevil smiles and shakes his head.

"I'm both." He states. "My mother was light and my father was dark. My aura allows darkness to flow through me, and then recirculate." He smirks at Lancer and Susie. "By the way, if you two ever have a child together, they'll have the same ability." They both look at each other and blush.

"I think we're a little too young to decide that now." The blackjack says as he shrugs.

"Whatever, but for now, I'd like you guys to walk through the portal as I give it the strength it needs to withstand the absorption." Kris smiles and faces his friends.

"Well, I think I've made my decision." He puts his hand on Ralsei's shoulder and they make eye contact. "We're going back to my world, and you're going to live with me and my mother." Ralsei smiles lightly.

"Mother? That sounds lovely." He turns to the side. "I wish I knew what having parents was like." Kris pulls him closer and hugs him.

"Ralsei, I love you, and I promise you and my mom will like each other. You're so my like my brother." Ralsei gasps lightly.

"You have a brother?" Kris nods.

"I did, but he's in college now. So, there's an extra bed if you need it." The dark prince smiles widely and takes his hat off, revealing his white fluffy face.

"Awe Kris! That sounds wonderful! I'd be honored to be part of your family." Kris smiles and faces Lancer and Susie.

"Lancer, you're going to live with Susie." Susie folds her arms.

"Kris, I really don't think my dad will like Lancer. He barely even tells me he's glad he has me." Kris shakes his head proudly.

"Actually Susie, you've got nothing to worry about. Lancer is the toughest boy you're ever going to meet. And I promise that no matter how harsh your family is, he'll be able to handle it." He smirks savagely and glances toward Jevil. "Besides, you guys get to keep Jevil with you." The jester dances around in the black liquid.

"Awe! I get to chaperone my cousin and his girlfriend?" He asks as Susie smirks.

"Yes. Yes, you do." She steps closer to him. "But there's going to be a catch." His enthusiasm fades.

"Okay, what would that be?" He asks as the purple dragon smirks evilly.

"I'm going to give my family an opportunity to accept Lancer, and if they say no, that's where you come in." Jevil glooms lightly.

"Aw, so you're saying I don't get to have fun with them?" Susie chuckles.

"Only if they support me, but if they don't, you do what you do best. Go crazy." Jevil smirks evilly.

"I'm extremely good at creating chaos." His expression shifts. "But what if they do accept Lancer?" Susie shakes her hand.

"Don't worry, they're not going to accept him." She turns back to Kris. "Well classmate, are you ready to go back?" The cyan boy nods.

"I'm ready when you are." He says as they all step a little closer. "But please understand that in this world, we're not in charge. We live by a society orchestrated by other monsters above us." Jevil giggles.

"I bet in an alternate timeline, a human like you could destroy their civilization and rule the world yourself." The human pauses and keeps a straight face.

"Well, let's go home now." Kris holds Ralsei's hand and they walk through the portal together. Susie grabs Lancer's arm and does the same. Just after, Jevil leans back and lets the portal carry him away, the bright light in the fountain goes pitch black the moment they're all gone.

* * *

Once they're back home, they're in the same unused classroom Susie and Kris found themselves in before. Kris turns on the lights. His skin is peach again and Susie's purple skin is darker complected than before. Ralsei's fur is dark black rather than bright white and Lancer's facial shadow is illuminated, revealing his dark blue eyes. Jevil is the only one completely unchanged from switching worlds.

"Okay, let's get out of this school," Kris says before something catches Jevil's eye.

"Wait!" The joker exclaims as he grabs a greyish-blue stuffed kitten off the floor. It looks rather out of shape, but the form is still decent. "Can I please keep this?" He asks as Lancer rolls his shaded eyes.

"Jevil, it's not right to steal." Jevil sighs lengthily.

"But it looks so much like my late friend Seam." A tear falls out of his right eye. "I really miss him." Susie smiles and pinches Lancer's shoulder, causing him to wince slightly.

"Come on Lancer. This is the new life we live in. In my house, we're allowed to take whatever we want, whenever we want it." Jevil smiles.

"Oh! Thank you so much!" He exclaims as Ralsei opens and holds the door for them. By the time they're outside, the sun is barely still out.

"It looks like what's morning in one world is dark in another." Kris states as Susie rolls her eyes.

"I'm ready to stay up all night." She faces her blue boyfriend. "Anyways Lancer, do you want to walk around town a little bit before going home to my abusive household?" Lancer nods.

"That sounds like fun." He says as he begins levitating toward the woods. "Let's go!" Jevil chuckles.

"I'd better follow him so he doesn't get lost again." He says as he follows him. Ralsei waves lightly.

"Well, goodnight Susie." He says as Kris smiles lightly.

"Well Susie, are you glad to be home now?" She smiles coyly and nods once.

"A little." She says as she pulls a small comb out of her pocket. "I just kind of miss my battleax already." Kris reaches in his pocket and pulls out a pencil in place of his sword.

"Yeah, our powers are limited in this dimension. But I hope you'll remember we don't need to bring violence to anyone here." The reptilian teen smiles and puts an arm on his shoulder.

"Don't worry about me, Kris. I think I'll manage that pretty well from now on." She glances back at Jevil as he points to different spots in the woods. "Besides, Jevil is still capable of being the Devil's Knife no matter which world we're in." Ralsei nods.

"That is true. Jevil can do anything." He says proudly as she waves lightly and faces the other way.

"I'll see you guys again on Monday. And then we'll finally begin our project." Kris smiles and nods.

"Alright, bye Susie." They both wave as she follows the blue boys into the woods. Kris takes Ralsei's hand and they begin walking home. "Let's go home now."

* * *

Once they get back to his house, they spot a police car outside on the driveway next to Toriel's car. Ralsei shivers nervously.

"Kris, I'm a little bit worried." The handsome lad chuckles and puts his hand on the doorknob.

"Don't worry buddy, I won't let them touch you." He slowly opens the door and spots Toriel in tears as she talks to a tall bluefish in a cop's uniform.

"He's been missing for three days now! You're sure you haven't found anything yet?!" She asks in a terrified tone. The officer shakes her head.

"Sorry Ms. Dreemurr, we've checked the school, your ex-husband's house, and alerted everyone in town." Kris slowly walks up.

"Hi, mom." Both women flinch as he waves lightly. "Hi, Undyne." He says to the fish lady.

"That's Officer Undyne to you!" She exclaims as Toriel instantly hugs him.

"Kris! Where have you been?!" She asks as she squeezes him firmly. "I've been worried sick about you!" Undyne frowns at Ralsei in an intimidating manner.

"And who are you supposed to be?" She asks as he gathers his courage and smiles lightly under his shadowed face.

"I'm Kris's new boyfriend Ralsei." Toriel frowns at him and then back at her son.

"Kris, why is this hooligan calling himself that?" Undyne grabs a pair of handcuffs.

"Should I arrest him?" Ralsei shivers as Kris steps in front of her.

"No. That won't be necessary." He demands as he takes Ralsei's hand. "This boy happens to be my soulmate. He's twelve years old and he's super smart. I think you'll love him once you get to know him." Toriel continues frowning suspiciously, Undyne, however, raises an eyebrow.

"You're a couple of lovers huh?" She asks as Ralsei suddenly takes off his hat. Toriel gasps internally as he blushes lightly.

"It's all true officer." He states as he faces Toriel. "Your son is indeed my boyfriend. He and I met just a few days ago, and every second of it brought us closer together. I never intended to prolong the time of him coming home, and I apologize for your worry." His blush fades. "However, I would like to spend some time with you and get to know you. You look like a pretty loving lady." He says as Toriel sheds a joyful tear.

"You're so sweet. I'm dearly sorry for accusing you." She says as Undyne chuckles.

"Well, then I guess that settles it." She says as she stands tall and heads toward the door, she crouches down to Ralsei's level for a second. "And watch your back with Kris. The dude can be very courageous at times." She says as he giggles. After Undyne leaves the house, Toriel proceeds to talk with her son.

"Kris, I'm grateful that you're okay, but do you have any idea how worried I was?" The human nods and pulls his dark boyfriend closer.

"I understand." He says as he faces Ralsei. "I just didn't want to leave him alone for the night." He pulls out his cell phone. "And I had no reception where I was." Toriel sighs.

"Alright, I'll let it slide, but please don't let it happen again." She asks prayerfully. Kris sighs and glances at Ralsei.

"Unfortunately, there's going to be a point where it potentially will happen again." He subtly says as she nods.

"Of course, when you're both in college." She insists. The black goat raises a finger.

"Actually it-"

"No, no. Let's go with that." Kris interrupts, managing to revert his mother's suspicion. The goat lady smiles and pats him on the head.

"Okay, you boys can get comfortable and go to bed when ready. Tomorrow is Saturday so stay up as late as you want." Ralsei grins as he walks towards the stairs.

"Alright, let's check out your room." He says. A couple of moments later they're in the room. "Wow." Ralsei mumbles. "This is a pretty big room for one boy." Kris presents the second bed to him.

"Well, now it's for two boys." He happily remarks as Ralsei sits down on his bed.

"Wow! It's really soft!" He states in excitement. Kris chuckles.

"Almost as soft as your fluffy skin." He states as the dark goat blushes lightly.

"Kris, this is going to be a lot of fun, and I'm so glad I'm privileged enough to share this with you." Kris grabs his arm and gives him a flirtatious grin, causing Ralsei's body temperature to increase pretty quickly.

"I'm afraid this bed doesn't belong to you." He says as he playfully lifts him on his feet and shoves him onto the bed on the right side of the room. Ralsei lifts himself up and chuckles nervously.

"Oh, I'm sorry Kris, is that one your bed?" He asks as the human shakes his head and sits beside him.

"That one belongs to my brother. This was formerly my bed." He says as he grabs Ralsei with both arms. "Now, it's **our** bed." He says before he firmly holds Ralsei down and pulls the covers over them. Ralsei blushes madly as the handsome lad holds their warm bodies together.

"Whoa, Kris! Isn't this a little sudden?" He asks as Kris takes off his green and yellow shirt, exposing his perfectly fit six-pack.

"I should think not pal." He says as he grabs one of Ralsei's sleeves. "Now pull against it." He insists. The dark goat pulls away and his robe slips off of him. "Now, let's cuddle," Kris says with a light blush as he pulls Ralsei toward him. The fluffy creature hugs him back with an equally strong embrace. "This is going to be how we sleep going forward." He states. "Shirtless, and close to one another every night."

"Alright, Kris." The dark goat responds. "I know I'll enjoy getting used to this." He says warmly as they continue cuddling.

* * *

Only about two hours later, the sun is down and Susie's family is all over the house with one brother on the T.V. with a video game, brother upstairs, and the last brother looking at a plate of food with a hungry look on his face.

"She's probably never coming back. Can I please feast on what would've been hers?" He asks as the father sighs.

"Honey, I don't think Susie is coming home tonight. Can he eat her meal?" He asks as the female dragon shakes her head, not to object, but in disappointment.

"No, no, no! Where is that irresponsible young woman!" She exclaims. "I do my best to put food on the table and she doesn't even show up for it?!" The hungry brother grabs a fork and prepares to take a bite.

"Well then, more for me!" Before he can grab a piece of her food, the door opens and Susie steps in.

"Hold it, Kyle!" She exclaims as everyone faces her. "I believe that is my lamb chop." She says as she walks up to him and abruptly grabs the fork from him. Kyle glares as she takes a bite of the meat.

"Hey! The rule is if you're not home by nine, I get your food!" Susie picks her nose and then drags her hand along all the food items on her plate.

"You want it now?" She asks as he glares.

"No. Just fuck yourself!" He says angrily as the dad raises his head from his newspaper.

"Kyle, please watch the language, you idiot." He gives a blank expression when he spots Lancer. "Who's this?" He asks as the brother at the T.V. pauses his game and turns around.

"Oh, we've got company?" He asks as he sets down his controller. Susie smiles politely and nods.

"Yes, everyone." She begins. "This is my new boyfriend Lancer." She states as Lancer waves.

"Hi, Susie's family! I'm Lancer." Kyle chuckles and steps forward.

"He's got the most punchable face I've ever seen." He says as he steps up to Lancer. "Do you want to sit there and allow me to train my fists?" He asks as Lancer shakes his head.

"That's pretty unpleasant." He remarks as Susie points to each person.

"That's my oldest brother Kyle." She points to her parents. "This is my mom and dad." The gamer dragon steps forward. "And that's my youngest older brother Sol." Sol gives the spade boy a friendly expression and holds out his hand.

"How do you do good, sir?" He asks as Lancer smiles lightly.

"Fantastic beyond all reason!" He exclaims as he shakes hands with him. Susie's dad frowns at Lancer.

"You're kinda young, aren't you?" He asks as Lancer shrugs.

"I'm thirteen." He says as another dragon comes downstairs.

"Dad, my battery is dead again, can I please just take Susie's charger?" Susie points to him.

"And that's my middle brother Tyler." Tyler frowns at her.

"Excuse me, bitch, no one asked you to come back." He rudely remarks as Lancer glares and steps in front of him.

"Don't you dare speak to my girlfriend that way!" He demands as Susie calmly steps behind him.

"Girlfriend?" He faces her. "You seriously stooped so low as to pick this tiny loser as your boyfriend?" Suddenly a sharp pain hits him in the stomach. "Ouch!" He exclaims as Lancer puts his hand down.

"Could a loser do that?" He asks as the father gets up and grabs him by the shoulder. "Whoa!" The large dragon firmly slams Lancer against the wall and gets in his face.

"Look, pal! I don't know who you think you are! But you cannot hurt my children! Got it?!" He says with deep aggression between each word. Sol slowly taps him on the back.

"Chill dad, the dude is young and he seems harmless." He says as Tyler pushes him firmly aside. "Hey!" He exclaims as Tyler cracks his knuckles.

"You're going down, little boy." He threatens firmly, causing Lancer to shiver lightly. Kyle steps on the other side of the dad.

"Can I punch him to please?" He asks as the dad nods.

"In a second. First I want to make something clear to him." Sol glances toward his mother.

"Mom, are you seriously going to let them beat up someone they just met?" The woman sighs.

"If he can't fight his own battles, he doesn't belong here." She comments as she allows them to continue.

"Look, little boy, if you ever harm any of my children, I will personally feast on your bones!" Lancer shivers and sweats.

"Okay, I understand." He says as the dad glances at the two older children.

"And just to show you I'm serious, I'm going to let Tyler and Kyle show you how it's done," Susie smirks darkly and holds out a small scythe.

"Well then, let's let the fun begin." She says as they wind their fists back.

"Ooh, ho, ho! FUN?!" A sinister voice calls. Everyone other than Susie and Lancer flinches.

"Who said that?" Susie's dad asks. Susie and Lancer both give him an evil grin.

"Oh, just our other friend," She tosses the knife in the air and it begins glowing. "Jevil!" The joker emerges from the small knife and holds his arms out.

"Huzzah!" He squints at the father. "I have arrived!" The sadistic dragon grabs Jevil and pulls him to the floor.

"What are you doing in my house?" Susie taps Sol and glances to his game system.

"Sol, grab your games and run. He's about to destroy the entire room." She warns. The friendliest brother nods and unplugs his device. He then grabs his cords and games and runs upstairs. Kyle chuckles.

"Was he really afraid of a wimpy joker?" He asks as a ring of spades closes in on him, grazing his body in multiple areas. "AH!" His mother gasps as he falls on his bottom.

"I can do anything!" He exclaims as the dad slams him against a wall. "Owie!"

"I'm going to rip your head off!" He exclaims as he grips the top of his head, only for Jevil to shapeshift into the Devil's Knife. "What the hell is this?" He asks as four knives slash him on his sides. "AH!" He roars painfully as his wife gasps and Tyler begins sweating. "Ow." The strong dragon says weakly as he lets go of Jevil and lies on the floor.

"RUN!" Tyler screams as he goes for the stairs. As he steps on the first stair, a few diamonds come out of the ground and impale his feet. "AAAHHH!" He falls backward on the floor as his feet begin bleeding. Susie's mother grabs a knife and charges toward the wild joker.

"I'm going to slash your throat!" She screams as she swings the blade, only for him to teleport away.

"You missed me!" He shouts before summoning five spades at once, he then teleports to another spot and repeats the process. A few seconds later the mother dragon begins crying and sits on her knees, cuts are all over her body.

"Ow." She mumbles weakly as Susie grabs her dad by his neck and pulls his face a little closer.

"Let's get one thing straight you old bastard." She savagely says as her mother gasps.

"Don't talk to your father like that." She says in a firm voice. Susie gives Jevil a sociopathic look.

"Diamond please." The jester summons a diamond to hit her in the back.

"Ouch!" She squeals painfully as Susie continues talking to her dad with a dominant look.

"From this point on, you're going to treat me like a daughter, not a slave." She says firmly. "You're going to feed me the same amount of food you give my brothers, you're going to stop hitting me whenever we disagree on something," She painfully squeezes his neck and shakes him once. "And most importantly, you're not going to touch my precious boyfriend! You will accept that I'm giving him my heart and you and mom will treat us both with the respect we deserve. Do you understand?" She asks as her dad glares deeply at her.

"You're no daughter of mine." He mumbles as Lancer steps forward with the Devil's Knife in his hand.

"Hey, you watch your mouth old man or I'll shove this knife down your throat." He threatens as Jevil chuckles once.

"Tell me what knife tastes like, if you can still speak afterward." He says as the big dragon shivers and looks back into Susie's eyes.

"Sorry, sweetie." He says desperately.

"That's more like it," Susie responds as she pushes him back on the floor. "And now you'll sit back while Lancer, Jevil, and I have our fun." Susie's mother gasps.

"Fun?" She asks as Jevil begins biding his energy.

"To those of you who plan on surviving the night, please go upstairs." He warns.

"Oh my god!" Tyler exclaims as he gets up. Kyle raises a hand.

"Don't leave me here!" He pleads as Tyler ignores him.

"Every man for himself!" He shouts before Lancer blocks the stairway.

"None shall pass!" He states as he firmly shoves Tyler backward, causing him to trip over Kyle.

"Ah!" He exclaims as he lands on his back. Jevil summons a ton of suit based projectiles.

"Well, if nobody wants to leave, then let's begin the chaos!" He sends the projectiles all over the room, damaging furniture, lights, plates, and other things. Susie flips the television on its face to avoid damaging it, but everything else remains vulnerable as Jevil relentlessly casts away.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Kris's house Ralsei watches the chaos with his binoculars. He chuckles and faces Kris.

"Jevil is kicking their butts!" He cheers as Kris pulls him down. "You want to watch?" He asks as he hands the boy the binoculars. Kris immediately discards the spectacles and kisses Ralsei on the lips. The dark goat immediately wraps his arms around him and does the same.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Well, that's my story. It was so much fun to write and I really enjoyed getting the opportunity to share my love for this game with everyone. You've been a wonderful audience, and thank you sincerely for reading my story. If anyone is interested, I might be able to turn this into a trilogy. So if anyone wants to see any more, please tell me so in a review or private message… aw, who am I kidding? I'm going to write it anyway, but I'll definitely get started on it faster if I know you want it. Until then, have a nice day!**


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